Dan Kneen Charitable Fund partners with Rock2Recovery to create TORQ: a mental health and wellbeing support service for the Island’s road racing scene.
It’s good to talk, we all say. But, sadly, we’re not always great at following our own advice, especially when our mental health is suffering. That’s why we at the Dan Kneen Charitable Fund are excited to spark the conversation among the hundreds of people who race, work, or volunteer in the local road racing paddock.
This initiative is also part of the broader drive to enhance medical standards at the TT, and we’re proud to say that it’s fully endorsed by the TT’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Gareth Davies, and Clerk of the Course, Gary Thompson MBE BEM. Both identify strongly with Rock2Recovery and recognise the unique expertise their team will bring to the paddock.
Rock2Recovery
Rock2Recovery was founded by Jamie Sanderson and Jason Fox, two senior-ranking Royal Marines who were medically discharged after long careers. While Rock2Recovery, who provide specialist change management coaching, primarily supports military veterans and emergency services personnel, the trauma they help address is often similar to what we see in road racing, whether visible or not.
We’ve partnered with Rock2Recovery to create TORQ, a ground-breaking welfare service available to anyone affected by a serious racing incident. TORQ fills a void in rider health and welfare, and we’re striving to create positive change when it’s needed the most.
This may include refocusing support for competitors coming to terms with serious injuries or the mental health struggles linked to long recoveries. We’re also here to coach the friends and families of competitors who have suffered life-changing injuries or assist those who are grieving the sudden loss of a loved one.
Having benefitted to such a large extent from the knowledge and expertise the staff at Rock2Recovery display, Lee is keen to spread the word, joining the Dan Kneen Charitable Fund as Patron to help establish TORQ on behalf of all the competitors both he and Dan have competed against.
A LEGACY FOR DAN
Our team at the Dan Kneen Charitable Fund has also faced its own traumas and recognises the need for rapid interventions for those impacted by serious racing incidents. Losing Dan was deeply painful, but it inspired us to create the Fund in his memory. TORQ is part of that legacy, allowing Dan’s closest friends and family to help others who find themselves in a similar place.
We truly feel this initiative is a fitting legacy for Dan and will ensure his spirit lives on at the TT for many years to come. We see TORQ as Dan offering an outstretched hand to his racing family in times of need.
As we roll out this service, we want to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who has played a part in making this vision a reality, from our tireless volunteers to our generous donors. Together we’re making a difference in the lives of those who share our passion for racing. Thank you.
Knowing how hard life is after a big accident, I feel it’s really important in our sport to have a rider welfare and mental health support service like TORQ. It was really good to have Rock2Recovery on the end of the phone to talk things through and, honestly, I can’t tell you just how much it has helped me.
Our charity has always helped those affected by serious racing accidents, but through TORQ we can contribute in a more purposeful way. We truly feel this initiative is a fitting legacy for Dan and will ensure his spirit of camaraderie lives on in the road racing paddock for many years to come. We see TORQ as Dan offering an outstretched hand to his racing family in times of need.
As we roll out this service, I want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who has played a part in making this vision a reality, from our tireless volunteers to our generous donors. Together we're making a difference in the lives of those who share our passion for racing. Thank you