Martin’s Reaching New Heights for Charity

Martin Hibbert is busy planning to climb the highest mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro.  It’s a challenge in and of itself, but what makes this hike even more daunting is that Martin is a wheelchair user and he’ll be undertaking the dizzying journey using a specially adapted hand bike.  Martin is hoping to raise a staggering £1 million for the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA), the charity that has given him invaluable support since he became paralysed four years ago in the bombing at Manchester Arena.

Martin’s Mountain

Martin took on the challenge of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro as part of his recovery from the devastating terrorist attack in 2017.  His teenage daughter was also injured in the blast, but Martin’s life-changing injuries called for more specialist care.  He has credited the support of SIA in helping him recover and adapt to his new way of living as a full-time wheelchair user.  Martin will make the climb with members of the charity and some of the medical professionals who treated him after his injury and explained why the journey was so important in helping him re-frame his experience.

He said: “I’ve decided to turn an appalling act of terror into a force for greater good.  I want to do something to shift the spotlight away from those who tried to end my life towards those who helped me rebuild it.”

It’s All About the Climb

The team will make their ascent in August this year, to coincide with the rescheduled Paralympic Games being held in Tokyo.  To mark the occasion, Martin will be taking the Paralympic torch from the 2012 Games along for the ride.  The journey to the summit will take the team through thick jungle, boulder fields and snowy terrain to a heady height of over 19,000 feet before they arrive at their destination.  For Martin, climbing the peak is also a symbolic gesture to reflect the difficulties people living with disabilities have to go through every day.

He explained: “Disabled people have to climb their own mountains every day, so I’ve decided to climb a real one.  Too often the focus is on what disabled people can’t do, not what they can.  I’m challenging that and taking a Paralympic torch to the top of Kilimanjaro is a powerful statement of the possible.”

Supporting SIA

The huge challenge comes at a time where many disability charities are struggling with a lack of funding.  With 50,000 people in the UK living with a spinal cord injury, many requiring specialist equipment like wheelchair accessible vehicles, charities like SIA rely on funding to continue being a vital lifeline for many paralysed people.  Martin hopes that the money raised will go some way to ensure everyone who needs the specialist care that Spinal Injuries Association provides will be able to access it.

He added: “The money raised is my way not just to thank Spinal Injuries Association for everything it has done for me but to make sure it can reach the thousands who remain in urgent need.  Without SIA, I wouldn’t be here today.”

We wish the best of luck to Martin and the team for their incredible journey.  If you’d like to support Martin’s challenge, find out more on the Spinal Injuries Association’s website by following the link: https://www.spinal.co.uk/martinsmountain.