A Longford Paralympian whose wheelchair was destroyed in transit to Tokyo for the games has called for more education on the importance of the vital equipment.
Para-swimmer Patrick Flanagan discovered his wheelchair had been irreversibly damaged when travelling from Ireland to Heathrow on the first leg of his trip to the Paralympics in Japan.
The Longford athlete said the wheels had been damaged and the frame of the chair had sustained a lot of other dents and scrapes.
On disembarking the plane, Patrick was allocated an airport wheelchair that he described as oversized and unsuitable for his needs, while a spare wheelchair was organised to be transported from Ireland to the Longford man.
In a tweet over the weekend, the talented athlete urged airlines and baggage handlers to pay attention to chairs and other vital equipment in their care.
Speaking to Shannonside fm, Patrick says it was devastating to have it happen ahead of the Paralympic Games:
