Man hospitalised with Covid twice attempts world record inspired by his dad

Lee Williamson using a special trainer wheelchair in preparation for his world record attempt.

A Sunderland man is determined to get through a year of challenges after he says his family were 'rocked' when his dad was diagnosed with cancer.

Lee Williamson uses a wheelchair after a stroke 14 years ago.

He now has no movement down his right side and has been hospitalised twice following complications after catching Covid.

Despite this, with the help of a trainer and astonishing levels of determination, he says he is ready to take on a series of new world record attempts to raise money to support those living with cancer.

Last year he tried to become the first individual to complete a marathon using a wheelchair, one arm and one leg for propulsion, but had to stop the challenge due to injury.

In 2019, he set his world World Record at the Great North run, became the fastest individual to complete a half marathon in a wheelchair using only one arm.

His latest mission is taking place at a gym in Washington where he is aiming to travel more than 400km (about 320 miles), the furthest distance covered in a calendar week on a wheelchair trainer to raise money for Macmillan Cancer.

He'll be using a special type of machine that enables those in a wheelchair to exercise in a confined space. 

“To give myself any kind of chance of success I will need to be achieving close to 20km per hour in a standard wheelchair trainer for 12 and a half hours a day for the week. It’s going to be tough but I’ve got great support.

"With determination and the right attitude it’s all within your grasp and now with my dad’s cancer diagnosis I really hope to make him proud and inspire him during his recovery."

Lee is being supported by his wife Sue, who is partially sighted and his two daughters, he says he has more challenges planned for later in 2022.