Matt and Rachel Ellis have found PhoneHug® to be a great addition to their sporty and active lifestyle.

Matt was diagnosed with the degenerative eye condition Retinitis Pigmentosa when he was 17, however he has not let this hold him back in striving to achieve his dreams.

In 2013 at the age of 22 he was accepted onto the GB track cycling team and competed as part of a tandem team in the Kilo and sprint events.

He won a bronze medal in the national sprint championships and a silver medal at the international cup. In 2014 he was part of the Welsh cycling team for the Commonwealth games in Glasgow and won a bronze medal.

Matt has just confirmed (Monday 19^th November) that he will be competing with Barney Story in the world Para Cycling cup in 4 weeks, shared by Dame Sarah Storey on twitter

Rachel Ellis, a qualified PT and GP referral instructor, manages everything to do with her husband’s sports career.

Rachel says:

“A large portion of Matts training is on a turbo trainer which uses an app to track his progress. He has previously dropped a phone onto his wheel during a sprint effort and the phone ended up in several pieces.

Due to his eye condition he needs the phone close to be able to read the data. Using his PhoneHug® he can securely attach the phone to the handle bars, read the data clearly and complete his efforts with confidence his phone is safe. 

The carabinar clip that comes with PhoneHug® is fantastic when we want to attach our phone to our bag whilst at the gym or at the track.

I particularly like being able to use the lanyard whilst at the side of the track, this means I can cheer Matt on whilst capturing photos and video footage.

It is great knowing that I’m not at risk of dropping my phone in the stands or onto a hard surface. 

Having 2 young children and 3 dogs means there are a lot of opportunities for phones to get knocked out of our hands.

We can now keep phones secure with us using the lanyards or even hang up out of reach of the little ones. “

Achieving great things through Matts participation in para sport is not only for himself but to inspire others. Many people with disabilities either feel they can’t, or simply don’t have the confidence to get involved in sport. He wants people to see their disability as an opportunity not a barrier.

Matt is a father to 3 year old Zayn and Reeva who is 11 months old- she will be 1 on the 5th Dec. Reeva has been confirmed to have the same gene as Matt so will be monitored closely for Retinitis Pigmentosa. Showing his daughter, the amazing things you can achieve even with a disability, has given him extra motivation to achieve his dream of a Paralympic gold medal success.