This week on the Local Heroes Podcast, Chris and Dan meet Drew and Abbie - people brought together through life-changing injuries and conditions, and whose stories are celebrated in the recently screened film Hands on the Wheel, directed by Dan Prince and produced by Local Heroes.

What begins light-hearted quickly turns into a powerful and honest conversation about rebuilding a life after disability.

Drew talks about losing independence overnight, learning to rely on carers, and finding purpose again - while Abbie reflects on the long months stuck in a care home and feeling isolated, to discovering wheelchair rugby and realising he still had a life to live beyond hospital walls.

Together they talk about making Hands on the Wheel - the trust involved, the unseen hours of filming, and why showing reality matters more than inspiration.

The film reveals what people don’t see: the planning behind a coffee trip, preparing to leave the house, and how long everyday tasks actually take. A major theme is the gap people face after leaving hospital. Abbie describes being discharged into environments that didn’t fit his life, while Drew explains how that shared frustration led to Gym Possible - a charity gym and community hub designed as a soft landing.

It’s not just training: it’s peer advice, benefits guidance, equipment knowledge, and helping newly injured people realise they can still participate in the world. They also look ahead — expanding services, mentoring others, fundraising challenges, and building something bigger than a gym.

For Abbie, it’s about making sure the next person leaving hospital doesn’t feel as lost as he once did. It’s thoughtful, funny and real - a conversation about acceptance, identity and moving forward when life changes overnight - and yes, there's that unavoidable Greggs Order.

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