Looking for a wheel challenge (From Swindon Advertiser)

Looking for a wheel challenge

5:04pm Thursday 16th February 2012 in News By Katie Bond

DESPITE being confined to a wheelchair after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2003, Paul Wilkinson is asking the public to put his endurance skills to the ultimate test.

Paul, 65, of Moredon, will give £1,000 to anyone for a charity of their choice if they can think of a steep hill in the Swindon area that he cannot climb in his manual wheelchair.

Last year, Paul raised more than £1,000 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association by wheeling himself up 10 of Swindon’s steepest hills, including Victoria Road, Kingshill Road and Eastcott Hill in five hours.

He also climbed Blunsdon Hill, The Broadway, Inglesham Road, Drove Road, Windsor Road, Croft Road, and the hill leading to Barbury Castle.

Following the success of the challenge, Paul decided to go one step further by climbing the same 10 hills, every day, for 10 days in a row.

He said: “I am confident that I can climb the majority of hills in the area, but if someone can come up with one that I cannot do, I will gladly give them a cheque for £1,000 for their chosen charity.

“It’s nothing about me, it is about raising money for charity and I know £1,000 is a lot of money and will make a difference to a worthy cause.

“I want to help get people interested in fundraising, encouraging them to give money to charity or to earn money for charity.

“I am confident that I can climb most of the hills around these parts, but I am sure someone out there must be able to come up with at least one that I can’t manage.”

When he was diagnosed, Paul was told he had only two to four years left to live but he has well outlived his doctors’ prognosis.

MND is a progressive disease that attacks the motor neurons, the nerve cells which form the pathway upon which impulses pass from the brain to the body.

This leads to weakness and wasted muscles and affects speech, mobility, breathing and swallowing.

Paul has a weakened voicebox and must force air out of his lungs and through the voicebox to speak.

He said: “I have a heart that won’t sit still. Every day I am thinking about how I can encourage others to fundraise and what I can do to raise money.

“I know there are lots of people out there doing much more than me but there are also people who haven’t yet had the feeling you get when you give to a worthy cause.”

If you think you can challenge Paul, email paulfwilkinson@ hotmail.co.uk.