Manchester Arena bombing survivor to climb Africa’s highest mountain.
44-year-old Martin Hibbert was paralysed in the terror attack.
Last updated 16th Mar 2021
A dad who was paralysed in the Manchester Arena attack is set to climb Mount Kilimanjaro to raise cash for charity and to show how "you can achieve anything" with the right help.
Martin Hibbert, who's 44 and from Bolton, was the closest casualty to the bomb blast to survive.
He hopes to raise £1m for the Spinal Injuries Association by taking a Paralympic torch from the London Olympics to the top of Mt Kilimanjaro in an epic seven-day expedition from 1 September.
Among the team joining Martin on the climb is Rob Grew , who was one of the first people at the scene after the bombing offering help.
Also joining them is the Head Nurse at the Major Trauma Centre at Salford Royal Stuart Wildman, who treated Martin in hospital.
Martin says: "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.
“Seven people are paralysed by spinal cord injury every day, but just one in three spinal cord injured people get the specialist care they need. Without SIA I am not sure what we would do.
“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. I want to turn an appalling act of terrorism into the complete opposite – bringing people together in a spirit of hope, optimism and inclusivity. Taking a Paralympic torch to the top of Kilimanjaro is a powerful statement of the possible.
“I’ll be crossing dense rainforest, boulder fields and snow to over 19,000ft and using a Bowhead hand bike to get me there. It’ll be the hardest thing I’ve done, but I want to inspire a nation and beyond to support other injured and disabled people. To do all of that in a Paralympic year... well, that’s just the icing on the cake.”