A paraplegic woman has announced her hope to set a world record by taking on a huge challenge.
Michelle Moffatt, from Dumbarton, will join two other adventurers Shaun Gash and Liam Morris in canoeing 240km down the Zambezi River in just six days.
They will start at Chirundu in Zambia and finish at the Mozambique border.
The former critical care nurse's life changed in an instant when she bent down to pick up a pen on a night shift at the Golden Jubilee Hospital, Glasgow, in 2019.
A prolapsed disc went into her spinal cord and post-surgery complications then caused a bleed leaving the Mum-of-four from Dumbarton paralysed from the waist down.
(Image: Spinal Research)
Coming to terms with life in a wheelchair during Lockdown was "almost unbearably hard" but getting fit and meeting others with spinal cord injuries has "transformed her mental and physical health".
The mum-of-four said: "I want to show my kids that no matter what challenges you face in life, you do your best and anything is possible."
Ms Moffatt experienced sudden onset alopecia in 2015 and now operates a specialist wig company called Mimo Wigs.
She added: "My life is so different to what it was but I’m proud of where I am now and what I’m doing.
"This challenge is not only a chance to raise a lot of money for amazing charities but to show that life in a wheelchair is still a great life and one full of possibilities."
(Image: Spinal Research)
Ms Moffatt will be joined by two other paraplegic adventurers, Shaun Gash and Liam Morris for the six-day challenge.
Mr Gash was paralysed from the chest down aged just 20 when he was a back seat passenger in a car accident.
The 53-year-old, from Morecambe, said: "I’ve always pushed and challenged myself and while my old life ended that night in 1991, I was given a new life and I want to make the most of it.
"I don't want to look back and think 'I wish I'd done that', I want to look back and think 'I did that'.
"And along the way I'm supporting two great charities - it’s all about giving back."
The paraplegic trio will spend up to seven hours a day in canoes and will face numerous challenges.
Spinal Research is the UK’s leading charity funding medical research around the world to develop effective treatments for paralysis caused by a spinal cord injury.
CEO Louisa McGinn said: “New data reveals the number of people injured or diagnosed with a spinal cord injury is approximately double that previously estimated. The need for research funding has never been greater.
“We’re also in touching distance of function restoring treatments for people paralysed after a spinal cord injury. Every single donation brings our vision of curing paralysis a step closer and we’re really grateful to Shaun, Michelle and Liam for their remarkable efforts.”
The Rolling Down The Zambezi canoe challenge challenge is to help raise money for charities Spinal Research and Whizz Kidz.
To support these charities and the trio go to https://bit.ly/3KlkEr5.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here