• 26 Jan 2022
• •
• 3 min read

Trethowans join Martin’s Mountain #MY19 challenge to raise money for SIA

Trethowans Personal Injury team have joined the #MY19 challenge launched by Martin Hibbert, a survivor from the Manchester Arena bombing, to raise funds for the Spinal Injuries Association.

In 2017, Martin sustained 22 shrapnel wounds, one of which severed his spinal cord, leaving Martin with a complete spinal cord injury and paralysing him from the waist down. Martin’s daughter was also seriously injured in the blast and has been left with life changing injuries.

Due to Martin’s catastrophic injuries, the SIA were there to help him come to terms with how different his life now is, offering him support and information to help him and his family. Martin is now returning the support by raising money for the Spinal Injuries Association by climbing Kilimanjaro. Martin has said that “people in wheelchairs climb mountains every day, I am climbing a real one”.

The Personal Injury Team at Trethowans have set themselves the challenge to complete 19 good deeds and challenges by the time Martin starts on his journey on 2nd June 2022.

Here are some of the good deeds and challenges the team have already and will be undertaking:

• A half marathon – Emily Green, Solicitor.
• A beach clean at Boscombe Beach – Chris Whiteley, Senior Partner; James Braund, Partner and Emma Whiteley, Business Development Manager.
• Donating furniture to a homeless family just given a home – Adele Martin, Paralegal.
• Donating new/unwrapped gifts to the WAVE105 Christmas Appeal – Katherine Knapman, Paralegal.
• Giving blood for the first time – Adele Martin, Paralegal; Chris Whiteley, Senior Partner; Gavin Lane, Partner; Emily Green, Solicitor.
• 40th Blood Donation – Katherine Knapman, Paralegal.
• Abseiling down the Spinnaker Tower – Chris Whiteley, Senior Partner and Adele Martin, Paralegal.
• Marshall/Steward at a Covid Vaccination Centre – Gavin Lane, Partner.
• Attending Clayesmore School to help with job applications and interview skills with the students – James Braund, Partner and Emily Green, Solicitor.
• Run 19 miles in 19 days – Elle Churchill, Secretary.
• Donated clothes to the school for clothing collection – Laura Rowe, Solicitor.
• Donating to the Christmas Food Bank – John Hall, Partner and Head of Personal Injury
• 19k walk – the PI Team.
• Spend 19 hours in a wheelchair between the Team to give us an understanding of the difficulties wheelchair users experience around the office in a day – Adele Martin, Paralegal, Salisbury; John Hall, Partner and Head of Personal Injury, Southampton and James Braund, Partner, Poole.

All donations make a difference, if you would like to contribute you can do so here

More about Martin’s Mountain and #MY19

Rather than let the fact that his life has changed beyond all that he had known before, Martin has put all his efforts into training to raise £1,000,000 for the Spinal Injuries Association.

So he can reach his goal, he has a specially adapted custom made Bowhead Hand Bike which will help him on the grueling challenge to climb Kilimanjaro, which many able bodied climbers struggle to achieve. Martin has a team of 12 to help him achieve this latest goal in his life and they have all undergone stringent training. Unlike many who climb the highest mountain in Africa, Martin’s challenges will be significantly more in relation to his health due to his spinal cord injury and having to use the specially adapted hand bike.

Martin and his team will be taking on the Rongai Route up the mountain as this is one of the least popular but is one of the most accessible routes. It has a gentle gradient with unspoilt wilderness. They will trek through farmlands, forest and alpine moorlands as they approach the summit. This route will also allow for additional time for acclimatisation before the difficult final ascent.

He hopes to be able to climb the 19,308 foot to the summit between the 2nd and 12th June 2022 – aiming to carry the 2012 London Games Paralympic torch to the top of Kilimanjaro.

So others could help to raise money for this challenge, Martin set the #MY19 Challenge. #MY19 is the 19,308ft up Kilimanjaro. The idea behind this is find your own #MY19 Challenge and receive sponsorship for it. It could be you are sponsored to do a 19 day yoga challenge, walk/run 1.9 miles a day for 19 days, to 19 acts of kindness.

If you wish to read more about Martin’s Mountain or the #MY19 Challenge, please click on this link.
Martin’s Mountain – in partnership with Spinal Injuries Association (martinsmountain.org.uk)