Ladakh trek - Paul Fairhurst and Gregory Burns

Today I've launched a Facebook page for my next challenge - a 35km high altitude trek  in the remote, spectacularly beautiful Indian province of Ladakh, with my friend Gregory Burns a paralympic athlete, internationally recognised artist and motivational speaker.

Here's a link to the Facebook page and my first post: https://www.facebook.com/Ladakhtrek 

I’m a walking quadriplegic. In June 2011 a cycling accident left me with a C5/6/7 spinal cord injury - paralysed and with almost no sensation from the shoulders down. From the moment I regained consciousness I’ve held a passionate belief that I would recover. I’ve been left with excessive muscle tone and spasticity and constant neuropathic pain. But I can walk and I am fully functional and independent. I know that most people with this injury never walk again and many face a lifetime of serious medical complications. I know I’m very lucky, and I’m very grateful.

I have this very strong sense that opportunity lies ahead of me, and that motivates me to keep pushing myself forward. In December last year I completed a 10km walk and raised over £17,000 for research into a cure for paralysis. Now I am taking on my next challenge – a 35km, 5 day trek at high altitude, in the remote, spectacularly beautiful Indian province of Ladakh.

If you’re going to take on a really big test of physical and mental strength, who better to have alongside you for inspiration than an Olympian!

I met Gregory Burns a year ago. Gregory contracted polio as a young child, which required him to depend on leg braces and forearm crutches for mobility.  Rather than being hindered by his paralysis, Gregory harnessed it to develop his character, inner strength and creative spirit. A three time Paralympian, he set four world records and captured half a dozen medals. He is an internationally recognized painter, a motivational speaker and artist. And, I’ve found, he’s good at sowing crazy ideas for big challenges.

Very soon after we met, the idea surfaced that Gregory and I should do something together. Eventually, that something became this trek, and after months of planning, we are very nearly ready to go.

I work for Diageo, the Johnnie Walker brand owner. The Johnnie Walker brand values are all about personal progress, and its “Keep Walking” tagline is world famous. The connections between the brand and what Gregory and I strive to do kind of hit you hard between the eyes and within no time Johnnie Walker came enthusiastically on board to sponsor the trek. A photo blog and short documentary will be published on Johnnie Walker social media platforms, and we are all very excited about that!

Joining us on the trek will be Gregory’s wife Angie Tan; my therapist Viv Spanopoulos; our mountain leader Alan Ward; the film director Mike Rogers and photographer Scott Woodward; and a local team of mountain guides, ponymen and cooks.

We all have many hopes and expectations. Amongst mine is the hope that through this journey I can help to raise the profile of the efforts to find a cure for paralysis. I will be raising funds for two charities who are at the forefront of those efforts: Spinal Research and Wings for Life.