NATIONAL wheelchair basketball champions from Worcester are gearing up to wheel all the way to Manchester for a chance to retain their title.

They are joining up with fellow University of Worcester students and staff for a fundraising challenge to push wheelchairs on treadmills for up to eight hours in a bid to cover the 111-mile distance to the north-west city.

The self-funded university team need the cash to pay for the trip to the British Wheelchair Basketball University Championships in Manchester on March 4 and 5.

Wheelchair Basketball Society member Emma Graham said: “This is our only tournament all year and that’s why we wanted to go to compete against other teams from across the UK.

“We want to bring the title back to Worcester and it would be good recognition for our hard work.”

The society, whose team won the 2016 event at their University of Worcester Arena home, have not finished below third in the British tournament’s three-year history.

Members hope the Wheel to Victory event on Friday will raise £1,000 to help cover the city team’s travel and accommodation expenses.

They have invited other university societies and clubs as well as academic staff to form teams competing to cover the largest distance between them in wheelchairs on specialised treadmills with a prize for those who go furthest in an hour.

The wheelchair basketball team, a mixture of able-bodied and disabled male and female athletes, have set an eight-hour timeframe to achieve the distance.

“We have done a test run using the equipment with people used to pushing on a regular basis,” said Graham, 27, who is in the final year of a sports coaching science with disability sport degree.

“Because it’s a treadmill it makes you work. It’s like pushing on a thick carpet so it’s going to be challenging.

“We have set ourselves quite a big challenge.

“But we wanted to show we wanted to work for this. We have been training all year for this tournament and wanted to lead by example and show we’re willing to put in the miles.”

Twenty per cent of the money raised will go to the Red Cross in recognition of their loan of the five wheelchairs being used as part of the challenge.

It will be done on five Invictus Active Trainers with three lent by the company.

The society also hope their presence at the competition will further enhance the university’s reputation for inclusive sport.

Mick Donovan, deputy pro vice chancellor (inclusive sport and educational development) at Worcester, said: “In recent years our wheelchair basketball club have certainly gained an excellent reputation for having one of the leading university programmes in the UK with some great performances during the championships.

“This fundraising challenge demonstrates their commitment to make their mark once again and we really wish them well.”

Donations to the cause can be made at gofundme.com/help-get-teamworc-to-uni-champs.