St Neots wheelchair user gears up for world record in 'monumental challenge'
He's preparing to climb Mount Snowdon later this year
A student from Cambridgeshire who's aiming for the fastest climb up Mount Snowdon in a powered wheelchair has said he's ready for his world record attempt.
Maxwell McKnight, who has spinal muscular atrophy, will take on the challenge in June to raise awareness of inaccessible hiking spots.
The 19-year-old from St Neots will be climbing with Josh Wintersgill, who also has the condition and met at a spinal muscular atrophy activity weekend.
And the pair have already raised more than £27,000 for Spinal Muscular Atrophy Charity UK.
"It's a monumental challenge"
Maxwell told us he's excited for the climb, and hopes to send out a message to others in a similar situation.
"I'm very nervous as it's a monumental challenge and there's a lot going into it, but with all the preparation, I'm sure we're going to smash it," Maxwell said.
"Anything is possible; the technology is out there, you just need to fight for inclusion outdoors by bringing light to the inequalities we have to face."
"These wheelchairs will make a difference to mental health"
Both Maxwell and Josh will take on the Mount Snowdon challenge, called Know No Bounds, in an all-terrain wheelchair.
This will be the first time that Maxwell, a former GCSE geology student, will use this type of wheelchair "out and about", he said.
During his GCSEs, Maxwell said he "couldn't really explore the outdoors" with his classmates due to the type of wheelchair he had, but is looking forward to what an all-terrain wheelchair can give.
"These wheelchairs will make a big difference for the community's mental health, being able to enjoy the outdoors and knowing they will be safe and can go where everybody else can.
"If someone had access to one of these off-road wheelchairs, they could take geology and succeed; I want others to experience the educational system in the best way possible."
Josh, based in Somerset and the founder and director of Able Move which creates products for wheelchair users, said the challenge was "doable with the right support network around us, which we will have".
"What I'm trying to do is highlight that with the right equipment, people with disabilities that need to use these pieces of equipment can access the outdoors," he said.
"I purchased one of these all-terrain wheelchairs about a year-and-a-half ago, after one of my friends told me that they don't feel they would be able to go out walking with me because it's not accessible and it just wouldn't be the same.
"I thought, well, why shouldn't I be able to go out and explore the outdoors and do things."