Bladder weakness and high performance touring cars are two subjects not often mentioned together, until Richard Thomas paid a visit to Donington Park to see a remarkable racing team with a difference

Every once in a while, as a journalist in the pharmacy press, you cover a story which goes beyond the usual run of policy announcements, political backstabbing and problems facing the profession that form the bulk of our regular coverage. So it was that a recent visit to Donington Park racing circuit with bladder weakness experts TENA – a trip that could, I dare say, be possibly construed as a bit of light relief from the daily grind – turned out to be something quite different.

TENA Men had announced that it was to sponsor a team in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC). This was newsworthy in itself, an unusual coming together of an incontinence brand and the macho, noisy, oil-spattered, petrol-headed world of motor racing. However TENA was sponsoring a team so unusual that it made even the most careworn of hacks sit up and take notice.

Making its debut in the BTCC, the Infiniti Support Our Paras racing team includes seven severely injured ex-members of The Parachute Regiment, whose job it is to prepare the cars for each race.

High profile

Running over 10 weekends this summer, the British Touring Car Championship is the UK’s biggest and highest-profile motorsport championship. Throughout the season, the paratroopers, none of whom were trained mechanics before they started, will work on the cars as part of the race support team. The long-term goal is for one of them to compete for the team as a driver.

For now, the two Infiniti cars will be driven by Richard Hawken and Derek Palmer Jnr, who have raced successfully in Super Touring Cars in recent years. The team’s biggest aim is to raise awareness and funds to improve the welfare of injured Paras and their families.

All profits generated by the Infiniti Support Our Paras team will be donated to the Support Our Paras charity, the official charity of The Parachute Regiment, considered one of the most iconic regiments in the British Army. The charity also looks after the families of wounded paras and those who have lost their loved ones.

 

To Infiniti and beyond... the Paras and TENA join forces

 

Raise awareness

By sponsoring such a unique racing team, TENA Men hopes to encourage further awareness of the Support Our Paras charity, while supporting the injured paratroopers taking part. The brand also wants to use the tie-up to break down taboos surrounded urine leakage, which is experienced by one in four men in the UK. Donna Wilson, brand manager for TENA Men, commented: “We are delighted and honoured to be working with such an inspiring group of men and for such a worthwhile cause. It is an exciting time for the team and it is a privilege to start this journey with them.”

Ex-Paratrooper Darren ‘Daz’ Fuller, a right arm amputee, added: “As a team, we have learned to stare in the face of adversity and now we are entering Britain’s most high profile motor racing series. It’s an exciting time for everyone. The most important thing about this is to raise awareness – and money – for the charity.” Colour Sergeant Fuller told me: “A lot of the skills you need in the army are transferrable to the pit lane, such as teamwork, leadership, supporting each other and keeping calm under pressure. We know each other’s limitations and can adapt and learn quickly as a team. We’ll get the job done.”

Talking to the former Paras was an uplifting, rather humbling experience. Here was a group of proud individuals who clearly missed their time in the army (even being shot at!), but who were managing to overcome their difficulties with the same determination and positive outlook that saw them serve their country with such honour and distinction. Good luck to them.

TENA Men’s Donna Wilson