Wheelchair user takes on Yr Wyddfa unaided with first-of-its-kind power mobility chair
A mental health campaigner and disabled adventurer has completed a solo attempt of Yr Wyddfa, Wales' highest mountain.
Nick Wilson successfully reached the highest point of Yr Wyddfa ever gained by a wheelchair user without physical support.
Mr Wilson completed this feat thanks to the aid of a first-of-its-kind engineered mobility chair, RockClimber, meaning he succeeded in his challenge without physical support.
His climb aims to raise greater awareness and action towards current accessibility and independence challenges faced by wheelchair users every day, importantly showing how inclusive design and engineering can help to make the world more accessible for everyone, everywhere and positively impact lives.
The adventurer left the army after fourteen years of service, with a spinal injury which left him reliant on using a powerchair, as well as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Nick said: “The last time I came up Yr Wyddfa I was still in the Army, the fittest I had ever been in my life and I wasn't in a chair.
"I have overcome so much, including learning to manage suicidal thoughts brought on by isolation and loneliness, adapting to becoming disabled and creating a new life focusing on what I’m passionate about – ensuring that everyone has the same access and freedom to explore our world."
After documenting his accessibility challenges and his passion for outdoor adventure, Nick was approached by engineering company Rock Engineering Ltd and lead engineers Elliot Dason-Barber and Andrew Miller, who offered to build him a first-of-its-kind power chair to help give him back his freedom – and allow him to achieve his goal, to summit Yr Wyddfa unassisted.
The project, championed by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), aimed to demonstrate the way in which inclusive design and engineering can be used to improve accessibility in urban and rural environments, enabling people reliant on wheelchairs to have greater independence and freedom without the risk of falling or getting stuck.
Nick added: “Being able to get as far as I did completely unaided is all thanks to the team at Rock Engineering producing an incredible, extreme power mobility chair. I’m determined to make it to the summit and with a fantastic engineering team around me developing the solutions, I’ll definitely get there.”
With more than 650,000 registered wheelchair users in the UK according to the NHS National Wheelchair Data Collection, there are still barriers in everyday life where wheelchairs are not equipped to tackle different environments, even on the high street.
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