An enthusiastic and competitive group of athletes recently wheeled onto the local sports scene.

Bermuda?s first wheelchair basketball team, the WindReach Slammers, wowed onlookers during one of the last Harbour Nights, where they played a demonstration match.spoke with several team members, ranging in age from nine to 34, after the team?s debut performance.

The team-mates said they have received an ?incredible response? from the public since their demonstration and they hope to harness that response into community participation.

In addition to fun and exercise, the team offers the wheelchair athletes a chance to mingle.

Lance Furbert, executive director of WindReach Recreational Village, told that unfortunately many of them are not active in the community or even in special needs groups.

The establishment of the WindReach Slammers, however, offers a new avenue to dramatically improve the emotional and physical health of disabled people who had felt they could not take part in sports, he said.

WindReach is currently looking for sponsors to help purchase 15 sports chairs at a cost about $3,000 each, in order to develop the programme.

Until about two years ago, competitive team wheelchair sports were unheard of on the Island. After a visit from the wheelchair basketball players from Variety Village, an inclusive sports centre based in Toronto, that changed.

?They showed us we could do it,? said team member Sia Castle.

Since then players have met every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. to hone their basketball skills.

Ms Castle, who is taking an Associated Degree in Human Services at the Bermuda College, said she once believed that participating in sports was impossible but after playing hockey in Canada with someone who could only move his thumb, she changed her opinions.

Ms Castle now encourages disabled people to get active. ?The competition is good for us,? she said.

Sixteen-year-old Andrew Faries has certainly benefited from sport. This summer he competed in the Special Olympics in Delaware, winning several medals.

Mr. Furbert said physically-challenged, learning disabled and able bodied players are all welcome to participate in the WindReach Slammers. ?The chairs are good levellers,? he said.