Riding around wales in a mobility scooter

A good friend has been in touch and ask me if I’d share this inspiring article, it’s fairly self explanatory:

On May 1st a man, whose mobility scooter turned his life around, Mark Newton from Swansea, will set off on an epic journey which will take about 46 days to complete and cover more than 1200 miles starting and finishing from Bynea in Llanelli, round the coastline of Wales on a disability scooter.

Mark was serving in Cyprus, whilst attached to the United Nations from the 1st Queens Dragoon Guards, when he dislocated his knee during PT. Some twelve operations and one major infection later the knee has deteriorated with athritis making walking nigh near impossible.

“It’s a bit of a boring injury compared to what the boys suffer in Afghanistan,” said Mark. “Seeing another soldier on telly injured by a roadside bomb bomb in Afghanistan, I decided to raise some money for the Help for Heroes. I’ve included the regiment as well as the British Legion because they both provided me with the scooter at Christmas 2009 and I want to give something back. I want to support Help for Heroes as they do a damn fine job helping the boys and girls.”

Mark worked for Colleg Sir Gar in Llanelli as a webmaster/programmer until August 2010 when he retired on health grounds. It was, as he was musing on what to do next with his life that 44 year old Mark hit on the idea of the Round Wales trip.

Mark is aiming to do about 30 miles a day unless the terrain is steep where it will be cut down to 20 miles a day. His trip is going to be filmed for a television documentary by Video Wales.

He points out that every penny raised will go to the charities. “I will not be taking anything for myself nor will I pay organisations a percentage for handling money on my behalf,” he said.

Mark says that many people have been really generous already by donating kit and places to stay.

“I still need some places to stay,”he said. “For the most part I shall be doing the trip unsupported using a small trailer with extra batteries on it and carrying my kit. Almost everywhere I stop I will be camping, it will probably take me longer to put the tent up than to get from one stop to the next.”

Those who want to offer help or pledge money can find a list plus much more including a competition for a bottle of Whiskey on Mark’s well organised website at http://www.roundwales.co.uk/

Mark will travel, where possible,around the coast of Wales, including Anglesey, and along the Offa’s Dyke Path .By going to Mark’s website above you can sponsor Mark, offer help, read his fascinating blog and follow his wildlife photography

“If this trip works well and doesn’t finish me off,” said Mark, “ I shall look at doing a longer trip, possibly around the edges of Britain.”

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