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Iam privileged to call Douglas MacGregor my father and mentor, he touched the hearts of so many people in his lifetime,
with his sense of humour, generosity and passion for lifelong fitness and personal growth.
Dad was born in November 1935 in Edinburgh, the youngest of four siblings. He went to the Royal High School Edinburgh. Leaving school in 1954 he started his working life with the Edinburgh Police as a cadet working in the Chief Constable’s office, following in his father’s footsteps. National Service called and in 1954 he joined the Army Pay Corps. However, his real passion was for sport, recreation and exercise, so he attended the Army School of Physical Training, in Aldershot. He was a basketball specialist and represented both the Army and Combined Services in basketball and also played for London Scottish in Rugby 1st IV team. Around this time he met the love of his life Barbara, and they were married in 1960. Dad’s first posting was in Chester as a Staff Sergeant Remedial Gymnast. He went on to become Warrant Officer Remedial Gymnast at the Royal Military Hospital Singapore.
Returning to the UK and several postings later, he became Warrant Officer at the Army Apprentices College, Arborfield, Berkshire in 1970. During this time, Dad introduced the Rogers Physical Fitness Profile system, grouping boys into homogenous squads of equal ability for physical training and fitness - this was a novel approach at this time, and he would go on to introduce other innovative approaches in future roles.
He left the Army after 17 years in 1973 to take up a position as Lecturer Physiotherapist at the National Star Centre for Disabled
Receiving the Torch Trophy Award from Princess Anne
Youth, near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Here he developed a programme of recreational therapy, adapted physical education and leisure. He also designed the gymnasium and state of the art swimming pool.
In this role, Dad encouraged community integration with students, which was not commonplace at that time. Able- bodied groups including Scouts and Gloucester Canoe Club would come to the gym and take part in activities, such as adapted wheelchair basketball. He also encouraged outdoor activities and helped organise the first ever Disabled Canoeing Course in Devon. This sparked my interest in the sport, and I went on to represent Australia in the World Whitewater Canoeing Championships in 1995, Dad strongly encouraged my participation in sport and recreation.
During this time, he got involved in International Sport for the Disabled, through the Cerebral Palsy International Sport and Recreation Association (CPISRA), a founding member of the Paralympics Movement. His work on an international specialist committee into developing a classification system for Disabled Sport was influenced by the Rogers system and influences the system still use today. He was part of the Organising Committee which staged the first International Games for People with Cerebral Palsy, held in Edinburgh in 1978. He received the Torch Trophy Award from Princess Anne for his work in standardising the entry qualifications for the various categories of sport.
Dad organised an annual games for disabled people on behalf of Tewkesbury Borough Council that attracted 500 competitors from all over the West Midlands and South West. He supervised the first wheelchair track demonstration events at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. His blazer is in the RAPTC Museum, Aldershot.
After leaving the Star Centre, Dad worked as a Physiotherapist for Headway Cotswold Trust specialising in head
Conducting poolside PT
Sgt (SI) MacGregor APTC
injury rehabilitation. This appointment allowed his further exploration of creative approaches of reduction of movement, namely Tai Chi, Feldenkrais, Educational Kinesiology, Yoga, and Cranial Sacral Therapy, with great results with profoundly handicapped individuals.
Following retirement, Dad was involved in many community organisations, including a stint as a Tewksbury Local Government Councillor. During this time, he lobbied successfully for the retaining of land and the building of the Reddings and District Community Centre. He was chair of the centre committee for over ten years and would run the annual kids’ running races and adults’ tug of war - a passionate advocate for the centre.
Dad truly had a lifetime approach to physical activity and leisure, he embodied the RAPTC motto of Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body. He was innovative and encouraged others to be active, leading by example - he cycled almost every day until he was 86 years old and in the last couple of years he would walk regularly with poles and do push ups in the house!
Douglas and his devoted wife Barbara were an inseparable partnership for more than 63 years. After a long fight with cancer, she passed away in February, and Dad just 4 weeks later. They will be greatly missed by their children Ewen and Fiona, and beloved grandchildren Claudia and Cameron.
The world is most definitely a richer place due to his time with us - enjoy flying high in the Gym in the Sky.
DOUGLAS HAXTON MACGREGOR 1935-2024
Born 7 November 1935 - passed away 12 March 2024, aged 88 years.