Two wheelchair advocates are aiming to set a world record for the fastest climb up Mount Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) in a powered wheelchair.
Josh Wintersgill and Maxwell McKnight, who both have spinal muscular atrophy, will be taking on the high risk, high adrenalin challenge to raise awareness of the inaccessibility of hiking spots in the UK.
And just to add further jeopardy and competition to the #KnowNoBounds challenge, the pair will be racing each other up the 1,085 metre Welsh mountain on Saturday (June 15).
“I bought an all-terrain wheelchair after a friend of mine told me he didn’t feel that he would be able to go out walking with me because the outdoors simply wasn’t accessible,” said Josh, the founder and director of Able Move, a company that creates products for wheelchair users.
“Using my standard day wheelchair, he would have been right; I wouldn’t have got across my front lawn. But the realisation really affected me. Why shouldn’t I be able to go out and explore the outdoors?
“Shortly afterwards I went and bought an all-terrain wheelchair, and my world instantly changed. Getting into it the very first time, and going to the woods, was an intensely emotional moment.”
But despite having 21st century mobility technology capable of getting him to wherever he wanted to go, Josh still encountered man-made obstacles that made some of the routes he wanted to tackle inaccessible.
“I’m not able to go on certain routes because of kissing gates, stiles and other obstacles, which make trails unnecessarily inaccessible to wheelchair users,” explained Josh.
“The #KnowNoBounds challenge will highlight just that. With all-terrain wheelchairs we should be able to deal with the natural terrain on Mount Snowdon without being prevented from getting to where we want to go.”
Given Josh’s and Maxwell’s SMA condition, their weaknesses in their hands, arms and neck will make Saturday’s challenge even more difficult.
It will take between 10-15 people per team to help Josh and Maxwell to the top of Snowdon, with the teams carrying the necessary kit and equipment including batteries, portable ramps, food, medical equipment, tyres and more.
“What we’re trying to do is to raise awareness and highlight the need of disabled people who want to access the outdoors, and who have the right equipment, to be able to do so,” said Josh.
“We’re also hoping to raise £100,00 for Spinal Muscular Atrophy UK, which works to ensure that everyone affected by SMA has access to the best care, support and treatment.”
To donate to the JustGiving fundraiser, visit https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/knownobounds, or for further information https://smauk.org.uk/
You can also read more about the #KnowNoBounds challenge online in the current edition of Living with Disability.
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