Climbing #Everyday Mountains

Martin Hibbert is a remarkable individual. Martin sustained a spinal cord injury (SCI) in the Manchester bomb explosion in 2017. Like many in the SCI community, Martin was supported by the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA), following his injury; support which deeply impacted Martin. So, in 2021, Martin Hibbert launched a campaign to raise £1,000,000 for the SIA and as part of that, he committed to climbing Mount Kilimanjaro; Africa’s highest mountain. Now, Mount Kilimanjaro is not for the feint hearted.  Google ‘dangers of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro’ and the list is quite daunting, including hypothermia, altitude sickness, getting hit by avalanches and falling off cliffs. Not to mention, heart attacks, cold, respiratory infections and tropical diseases. As someone with a SCI, Martin could add some extra risks to that list including bladder infections, regulating his body temperature and developing pressure ulcers. Fast forward to 2022 and Martin did it! He and his team battled treacherous terrain, altitude sickness and exhaustion to climb the mountain, raising significant funds in the process.

But Martin hasn’t stopped there. Because for him, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro was only part of the story:

“My true ambition is to enable every spinal cord injured person to receive the specialist care and support they need to live the life they choose and reach their full potential. I want to start a movement that will create a better and fairer society for disabled people.”  – Martin Hibbert

Martin continues to campaign and fundraise, but also to help others within the SCI community. His team’s most recent endeavour is their #EverydayMountains prize competition. The competition can be entered by anyone with a spinal cord injury and also family, friends or anyone who wishes to support an SCI person. A fantastic idea that includes some amazing prizes, including Martin’s Mountain Trike (which is now a part of climbing history!) and £1,000 worth of physiotherapy sessions!

Bolt Burdon Kemp is a dedicated supporter of the SIA and Martin Hibbert. In 2021, the spinal injury team took part in Martin’s #MY19 challenge, by committing to 19 days of positivity and in the process, raising funds for the campaign.We couldn’t resist the opportunity to support Martin and his team in their latest endeavours and sponsor the competition and, specifically, Martin’s iconic trike. If you do enter then good luck!

And what of the £1,000,000 target? Well, Martin may still be slightly shy of his target (£910,228.61 as at 13th April 2023), but that’s something that we can all help with. Did you buy a coffee this morning? Will you have a bottle of wine at the weekend? How about committing to donating that money to a great cause?