PARALYMPIC wheelchair basketball star Ade Adepitan, and his partner, rising singer Elle Exxe, have opened the Island Riding Centre.
The couple opened the centre’s new all-weather outdoor arena — on Staplers Road, Newport — when Elle was performing at the IW Festival two weeks ago.
Ade is well known for presenting on the BBC and Channel 4, including The Travel Show and coverage of the Paralympic Games.
The Riding Centre, which will open for lessons next month, aims to encourage riders of all abilities — including those with physical limitations — to participate, when its indoor arena is completed later this year.
Ade, an ambassador and patron for charities supporting wheelchair users, children and sport, was introduced to the Island Riding Centre by Jan Brooks, of Isle Access, which promotes greater accessibility for visitors and residents on the IW.
Ade said: “We had a wonderful time at the Island Riding Centre.
“It was so cool to stay at a place that is not only beautiful but also has accessibility at the heart of its thinking. Knowing the accommodation was created to cater for everybody — able bodied and disabled — was a breath of fresh air.
“I’ve always believed that it’s not disability that holds people back, it’s lack of accessibility.
“So learning to ride horses in an environment free from the barriers people with disabilities normally face in everyday life, will be a massive life-changing and empowering experience.”