Disabled army veteran to ski 3,384 miles in three countries for charity to help fellow injured comrades
A WOUNDED Army veteran is to ski 3,384 miles in three countries for charity to help fellow injured comrades.
Steve Hughes, 50, suffered spinal cord damage on an assault course with the Royal Artillery at 17.
But it was not until the gunner was medically retired four years later that the injury took its toll and he ended up wheelchair bound in 2017.
Next month he tackles a 62-mile sit-ski marathon in Ruhpolding, Germany.
In May, he uses a wheeled ski-board to do 874 miles from Land’s End to John o’ Groats.
And in July, he is off to the US to cover Route 66’s 2,448 miles.
The dad of five, of Warrington, Cheshire, hopes to raise £20,000 for three veterans’ charities.
Steve said: “When I came out the army I would fundraise by running, and I think I was in denial that I wasn’t going to be able to keep running.
“When I lost full mobility in my legs I was very down and depressed.
“I started doing this because it was something to distract myself, I needed to do something to keep my mind busy, the mental impact of what I’ve been through has affected me much more than I realised for a lot of years.
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“It will be incredibly gruelling, I’ve never done so many intense challenges like these in close succession before.
“I did Lands Ends to John O’Groats in a sports wheelchair last year and I loved it but the last three days were extremely tough mentally.
“I’m quite a determined person so I wanted to push myself this year to do something even bigger, and I’ll have the boys we lost in my thoughts all the way.”
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