Amputee-Adventures Participants Page

Kilimanjaro Trek
in aid of the Limbless Association

September
2010

Click the photos below for details of challenge paticipants.

	Stan Hetherington Originator of trek idea	It's all my fault...
	Ray Edwards Quadruple Amputee	In 1987 I contacted Septicaemia which led to me losing four limbs, legs below knee, one arm through the elbow and the other 100mm below elbow, the amputations were carried out at Hammersmith Hospital on March Friday 13th, which is superstitious for a lot of us. I just felt like giving up and lost the will to live, but I kept thinking of my twins Michael and Diana who were only 9 months old, so I had to fight for them and luckily won the battle. I now look at Friday 13th as the day I was saved.
	Mark O'Leary Single above-knee amputee	Three weeks before my nineteenth birthday I had a motorbike accident that resulted in the loss of my right leg above the knee. Prior to this unfortunate day I was an average person leading an ordinary life and I'm pleased to say that nothing changed!
	Helen Stidwill Partner of Mark	When Mark came home one day in the autumn of 2009 after a meeting with Ray Edwards and told me he’d been invited to join a charity trek to the summit of Kilimanjaro, I knew that I had to be there when he reached the top.
	Faye Hetherington Daughter of Stan	Overseas at present...
	Alan Fagence Able-bodied trekker	I am an able bodied person myself, but since meeting Ray who is a quad amputee several months ago, it has made me think of my own Father who lost both his lower limbs due to very poor circulation after years of being a diabetic. Not only did my father lose his legs, but my Grandfather lost a leg due to thrombosis & I have now discovered that my great Grandfather also lost one of his legs. This has come as a great shock to me now knowing that three generations of males in my family have lost limbs.
	Richard Panton & Babs Taylor	In April 2007 Richard's niece Pollyanna, then two years old, lost her right leg below the knee in a tragic accident. Thanks to the marvels of prosthetic surgery Pollyanna is now a very spirited girl coming up to her fifth birthday who can walk ,run,skip,cycle, and do the hopscotch! There are of course ongoing difficulties because she is growing and she therefore requires surgery every two to three years inorder for new legs to be fitted. Despite the terrible trauma and diffficuties experienced Sarah,Christopher and their children (Barnaby,Sapphire and Pollyanna) last year raised a considerable amount for the Limbless Association.Sarah completed two half marathons in September and October 2009 , putting aside the horrific de-gloving injury she received to her left leg in the accident. And Christopher through his journalistic skills reached out to the public at large to raise the money. The children, friends and relatives were great cheering Sarah on at the O2 Run to the Beat half marathon in September 2009.
	Julie Harris Able-bodied Trekker	Awaiting further information...
	Andrew Reece Prosthetist	A couple of months ago Ray Edwards of the Limbless Association invited me to join him in a mission to climb the world’s tallest free standing mountain, Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in September 2010. After thinking about it for all of 2 seconds I accepted! This will be a monumental challenge for all of us involved and is likely to be the most strenuous thing we ever do.
	Tom Wickerson Prosthetist	A while back someone mentioned to me an idea that he thought might be a bit of a challenge and asked me for my thoughts. Subsequent questioning revealed that this individual was actually serious and he asked me if I was interested in joining. Like my good colleague Andrew I did not hesitate one minute and said count me in. Over the next few months this idea blossomed and has now become a reality and as a result we will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in September 2010 in the aid of the Limbless Association
	Albert Joseph Able-bodied Trekker	Awaiting further information...
	Terry Leeson Single below-knee amputee	Back in August 2004, while putting the final touches to a workshop I had built, I fell from the roof shattering my ankle. As a result of my accident I ended up having a below the knee amputation at Charing Cross Hospital.
	Alan Robinson Able-bodied Trekker	A year ago, a good friend of mine, Liz King-Fisher, lost her left arm as a result of a car accident. Her husband Paul and I have been on many previous mountaineering, hill-walking and long distance walking adventures, so it seems particularly appropriate for us to join the Kilimanjaro trip. I summitted Kilimanjaro six years ago, in a raging blizzard, so another good reason for going back is to see something from the top! I am extremely pleased to be able to support the Limbless Association and I am looking forward enormously to the trip.”
	Paul King-Fisher Able-bodied Trekker	The reason I am wanting to climb Kilimanjaro is that Liz (my wife) and I had a car accident in February 2009 and slid on black ice into a tree. The impact crushed Liz's left (dominant) arm and it was not salvageable. She has joined the limbless association as a lifetime member and we both want to do all we can to support and raise the profile of it.
	Laura Burgess Physiotherapist	I have very much enjoyed working as a physiotherapist with amputees in London for 15 years, helping them to return to independence and achieving their goals. My work is both very rewarding and at times challenging. Personally I like to take up challenges in life. These have included an 8 1/2 month trans-Africa journey overland, a tandem sky dive, bunjee jumping and white water rafting on the mighty Zambezi! I have been very fortunate in my work to meet some truly inspirational and wonderful people overcoming a great life change and adjusting to limb loss. Setting my own personal goal, this year, I feel privileged to support and accompany Ray Edwards, a quad amputee in the challenge of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa in aid of the Limbless Association charity.
	Lisa Duncan Gym Trainer	Sometimes in life, you meet people that have an impact on you as a person. For me, one of these people was Ray Edwards. I have worked very closely with Ray over the past year or so, helping him to gain confidence in the gym and improve his fitness levels in-which he has progressed considerably. A couple months ago, Ray asked me if I would join him in climbing Kilimanjaro. Initial reaction was, “are you mad,” but then I spoke him about why he wanted to complete this challenge and I could see that he has the drive, passion, and determination to want to make a difference.
	Maggie Uden Physiotherapist	I have worked as a physiotherapist with amputees at Queen Mary’s Hospital, Roehampton in London for over 15 years – a challenging and rewarding job. I strive to do my best to support and encourage amputees throughout their rehabilitation journeys from the hospital environment to back into the community and achieving personal goals such as returning to sports.
	Chris Baguley Able-bodied Trekker	My background is in highway engineering, so the experience I bring to this trip will be as much use as a blind guide dog. However, I’ve fancied trying to conquer Kilimanjaro for many years now, am a bit of an opportunist, and so, although Stan did unleash his very powerful persuasive skills on me to join the group, he really didn’t need to!
	Michelle Leggatt Able-bodied Trekker	Awaiting further information...
	Roy Valentine Able-bodied Trekker	Awaiting further information...
	Andy Kneen Single below-knee amputee	I`m a below the knee amputee after losing my left leg in a road traffic accident in 2001. I went to Roehampton for a recent appointment and told Maggie that I need a new challenge …… well it looks like I have a found one!