8:20pm Friday 7th August 2009
By Hayley Court
A PARTIALLY-sighted teenager has vowed not to let her disability stop her climbing Scotland’s highest mountain.
Amelia Hicks, from The Lawns, Wootton Bassett, has set her heart on scaling Ben Nevis after completing an eight-day, 87-mile trek along the Ridgeway last month.
The 14-year-old, who goes to Wootton Bassett School and was born blind in her left eye, tackled the Ridgeway challenge to raise money for her school’s Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.
Amelia cannot take part in PE lessons at school because of her disability, but carried heavy equipment and braved wind and rain for the trek with her mother Julie and dog Ebony.
The adventure raised more than £300 towards new expedition tents for Wootton Bassett School.
Amelia said: “I really like sport and adventure so I wasn’t going to let being blind in one eye stop me.
“The Ridgeway walk was a huge achievement for me but I don’t want it to stop there.”
Amelia, who has completed her bronze DofE Award, has already climbed Snowdon – the highest peak in Wales – and England’s Scafell Pike She is now looking forward to her 15th birthday in October, when she will become eligible to start her silver DofE Award.
Amelia said she had not been put off by a mishap on her last exhibition.
She said: “The Ridgeway is really chalky and slippery when it rains.
“I didn’t see a dip in the path because it was on my left side so I fell flat on my back in a puddle.
“My rucksack was so heavy I couldn’t get up again and Mum was laughing at me.”
Julie, 40, said: “I turned around to see these arms and legs flailing in the air — she looked like an upturned beetle. I couldn’t help but laugh.
“I am really proud of her. I’ve never wanted to wrap her up in cotton wool and that seems to have paid off because she’s always had a real sense of adventure and doesn’t feel that her impairment holds her back.”
Amelia said she hoped her achievement showed school bullies that whatever your level of ability, anything is still possible.
“I used to get called one-eyed freak at school but I can still do everything that everyone else can do,” she said.
“I have never let being visually impaired stop me in the past and I certainly don’t plan to let it now.”
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