INSPIRATIONAL footage has captured the moment a former world champion mountain biker desperately battled to climb the UK’s highest mountain – in his wheelchair.
Martyn Ashton, a former World Mountain Bike Trials champion and four times British champion, was paralysed from the waist down following an accident in 2013.
The 43-year-old Welshman is seen in an amazing new video making a superhuman effort to try to push himself up 1,345m (4,413ft) Ben Nevis.
And although Martyn, from Port Talbot, is eventually forced to give up his brave attempt he has vowed to reach the summit “one day”.
The 44-second-clip was uploaded to Facebook with the caption: “Didn’t get there this time, but I’ll make it to the top one day.”
The footage has been viewed over 63,000 times with nearly 100 shares and countless more comments from users.
Fit and able-bodied walkers typically take four hours to reach the summit so Martyn faced a daunting challenge on the steep, rock-strewn path.
The video starts as Martyn, dressed in a black hoodie, pushes himself up the rocky path up the mountain.
It’s clearly difficult in the windy conditions and on the rough terrain as Martyn battles to keep moving higher up the path.
He then becomes stuck as he reaches a step, as he repeatedly tries to gain enough momentum to bump his way up.
A voice behind the camera then asks: “Are you stuck?”
The clip ends as Martyn tries to find another way past the step by moving his chair in different directions.
Facebook users have been quick to praise his brave efforts.
Karl Vauvert commented: “The weird thing is, when you say one day, I quite believe it! Truly inspirational.”
Guy Morris wrote: “Go for it Martyn! You may not realize it but you are a true inspiration for people in a similar situation as yourself. They might perhaps feel they are unable to achieve things such as you moving up that trail but you are proof it can be done.”
Whilst Rowan Mcmanus added: “Wow! This is so inspirational! Look at what you have achieved so far! You will make it to the top.”
Martyn started off as a motorcycle trials rider before making the switch to mountain bike trials.
He broke his back in 2003 when he fractured it during a fall from a misjudged jump but soon returned to riding.
In September 2013, he broke his back again during a demo at a MotoGP event. The fall left him with severe damage to his spine and dislocated vertebrae.
He launched a film, “Down No Out – Mountain Bike Party”, in June last year, where he cycled a modified bike.
