Graham Lee and wife Becky had reservations about joining this month’s Injured Jockeys Fund holiday to Tenerife but both conceded that the uplifting experience massively surpassed their expectations.
The Grand National and Ascot Gold Cup-winning jockey, who suffered a life-changing spinal cord injury in a fall at Newcastle two years ago, was one of 69 IJF beneficiaries, guests and carers who were joined by 17 staff and trustees for a 10-day winter sun vacation at the Spring Vulcano Hotel in Playa De Las Americas.
The party ranged in age from early 30s to over 80 and included professional and amateur ex-jockeys, among them Ed Barrett, Derek Byrne, Gareth Charles-Jones, Kieren Fox, Paul Leach, Allan Mackay, Sandy May, Dai Tegg and Jimmy Quinn.
Further swelling the ranks for all or part of the trip were the IJF’s president Sir Anthony McCoy, Trustees George Baker and Guy Henderson, who takes over as IJF chairman next year, chief executive Lisa Hancock and vice-president Jack Berry, whose vision and energy created this inspiring, life-affirming trip.
Surrounded by the racing family, his initial concerns swept away by the IJF’s meticulous planning, Lee said he had been able to relax on the holiday with an unexpected consequence.
Speaking by the side of the hotel swimming pool, Graham said: ‘‘I wasn’t bothered about coming. The only reason I came was for Becks, just to get her away and have a break.
‘‘I was very nervous about flying but Jet2 were brilliant and then the next day we settled in. I haven’t slept like this since my accident.
‘‘It is either that I am very relaxed or my wife is secretly sneaking sleeping tablets into a warm drink because it seems too good to be true.
‘‘We get out most days. It is nice to breathe the sea air, and the area is brilliant for wheelchairs. Hopefully we will be back.
‘‘I am chuffed that Jack Berry, the legend himself, with (wife) Jo is here. That makes it extra special. It is eye-opening to be fair. You see other people with injuries and what the IJF does is off the scale.’’
Becky added: ‘‘I had to talk Graham round to come but it is the best thing we have done since the accident, without a doubt. He hasn’t slept like this before.
‘‘We were not expecting that because leading up to the holiday we had had a lot of sleepless nights, not about the holiday but because of various health issues.
‘‘That made us wonder what it was going to be like out here but from day one it has been brilliant. It has been nothing but positive.’’
Berry was equally delighted Graham and Becky were able to be part of the IJF’s 2025 holiday.
He said: ‘‘I am glad to see them here and it has done Graham a world of good. But it is not only him. He has the injury but poor old Becky, she is on call 24/7. It gives her a bit of a break which is wonderful.’’
The IJF holiday dates back to the early 1990s and was an example of good emerging from adversity.
Berry’s son Sam was 19-years-old when he suffered a severe head injury in a fall at Sedgefield. His career over, after rehabilitation Sam bought an apartment in Mar Y Sol, just a few miles away from the Spring Vulcano.
Berry recalled: ‘‘I came to visit Sam one Christmas. There was a foot of snow at home and it was a job to get here but there Sam was swimming in this heated pool with armbands on. I thought, ‘Crikey, there are loads of people who could benefit from this’. I was an IJF Trustee at the time. I went back and told them we ought to have this.
‘‘It is a wonderful thing. I am proud of it. You see people who you haven’t seen for years, they get together and the craic is absolutely priceless.
‘‘They might be feeling sorry for themselves at home but when they come here, it sorts them out. They forget all their injuries and ailments.
‘‘Good comes from bad. Poor old Sam got injured but the holiday came because of him.’’
Crucially, the trip feels like a let-your-hair-down experience rather than an institutionalised venture. You could just lie by the pool but, if you were feeling more energetic, take part in Aqua Aerobics, a game of Pétanque or have a session with the IJF team in the gym.
Beneficiaries also explored the island, including excursions to the Tenerife national park and Mount Teide, boat trips for whale watching and even sessions on Jet Skis.
The laid-back ambience, in part, is down to the in-depth planning which Emma Wood, executive assistant to Hancock, reckons takes around three months of working hours.
Having 12 accessible rooms made the Spring Vulcano the right hotel but the IJF also engaged a travel partner specialist to help ensure the flights were as smooth as possible, the right kit including air mattresses, hoists, hospital beds and shower chairs, was hired, and insurance was in place for both beneficiaries and their equipment.
Baker, whose first experience of the holiday came shortly suffering a serious head injury in 2017 which ended his riding career, said: ‘‘We all want the dream where life doesn’t change and you don’t get bumps in the road but life is not that straightforward.
‘‘When things do change, you need the physical support and even more so the mental support. The holiday has a really good feelgood factor. It gives people confidence, and you meet people you wouldn’t normally meet.
‘‘You have that safety net there but you can also row your own boat. It doesn’t feel like a school outing. It caters for everyone and all levels of disability.’’
The 69 beneficiaries who returned from Tenerife will surely agree with Baker.
Marcus Townend writing for the Injured Jockeys Fund
*We are very grateful to the M.D.C Jenks Charitable Trust who generously donated towards the provision and continuation of the IJF Beneficiary Respite Holiday Programme.