Travel & Holidays

WHAT DISABILITY?: Celebratory blog

After one month on the road, co founder Martyn Sibley has completed his Britain’s Personal Best challenge – rightfully named “What Disability?”. With over a thousand miles covered from John o Groats to Lands End and many stories along the way; here’s Martyn’s summary on completing his PB.

Today is Friday. Friday the 4th October 2013 to be precise. Exactly four weeks since we left a hotel in a windswept John O’ Groats in the far north of Scotland to begin our journey. It was rainy and damp that morning and our spirits were high.

Today is another day and another Friday. 1100 miles down the road and we have just rolled into Lands End.

It’s rainy, it is windy and I am tired…Weary of unpacking stuff, of wrestling the baggage that we travel with and shifting my disability equipment (hoists, shower chairs and so forth). Plus the rescheduling of our accommodation at the last minute because of inaccessibility. That sort of overly familiar stuff.

But you know what? We have made it!

I set off on the thousand mile plus road trip to keep UK disability issues in the spotlight. To reinvigorate what the Paralympian and Olympian spirit communicates and today, as part of Britain’s Personal Best launch weekend, I have much to report.

I have been documenting our venture on my blog. Hopefully; it shows some of the positives of our journey: The scenery, the people and the scale of our daily challenges.

When myself and Kasia set out we had quite simple aims:

– We wanted to journey the whole of the UK, with an electric wheelchair and a bike.
– To encourage people to live life fully and enjoy every moment
– To encourage disabled people to dream big and see positive possibilities
– To educate society on inaccessible buildings, transport and discriminating attitudes against disabled people
– To ensure government invest in social care, disability equipment, and general infrastructure

If we achieve these aims as a society, the world can and will be fully equal one day.

For now consider us schooled for whatever comes next…..

Challenge your Britain’s Personal Best on www.whatsyours.org

Keep up with the latest disability adventures on www.disabilityhorizons.com

See more photos on www.flickr.com/photos/martyn_sibley/sets/72157635430985579

One Comment

Back to top button