News - Local News: Taunton, Somerset

The chair, dubbed ‘Rock Climber’, was launched at Rock Engineering HQ in Towcester, Northants, at an event held on the final day of Disability History Month.
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News - Local News: Taunton, Somerset. (Taunton) AboutMyArea

On Friday 15th December 2023, Towcester – A first of its kind power mobility chair, designed to attempt a solo ascent of Mount Snowdon in 2024, has been unveiled by engineering firm, Rock Engineering and disabled adventurer and war veteran Nick Wilson.

The chair, dubbed ‘Rock Climber’, was launched at Rock Engineering HQ in Towcester, Northants, at an event held on the final day of Disability History Month and attended by Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Northamptonshire, Morcea Walker MBE, deputy leader of West Northants Council, Cllr Adam Brown, Armed Forces Covenant champion at WNC, Cllr David Smith and representatives from; Disability Forum, VR Therapies, Sollus Healthcare and Northamptonshire Sports.

Through the Challenge of conquering Snowdon unaided, wheelchair user Nick wants to show in the most extreme way, the everyday challenges that wheelchair users face. The project aims to demonstrate how inclusive engineering and technology can be used to improve accessibility in urban and rural environments, enabling people reliant on wheelchairs to have greater independence without the risk of falling or getting stuck.

Nick said: "Since becoming semi reliant on my powerchair, I've experienced first-hand how bad accessibility can be and whilst momentum is building through the inspirational work of disability influencers and organisations, such as Purple Tuesday who I'm an ambassador of, there's still a long way to go. Therefore, if we can show how engineering and technology can help us adapt to our environment, opposed to adapting our environment to meet our needs, we can make a difference to people's lives. It's certainly improved mine!"

As someone who promotes hope through his messaging and embracing, ability over disability, Nick is no stranger to taking on extreme challenges and has completed countless charity fundraising work throughout his military career raising over £125,000 for charities including events such as; 1000-mile cycle for D-Day commemorations and the first Basra half marathon whilst on operational duties in Iraq. Since becoming disabled in 2021 and relying on a powerchair, he completed a 385mile cycle on his specialised recumbent trike, from Margate to Lands End in 2021 and became the first disabled person to complete 96km of the Ridgeway National Trail using a powerchair in 2022...

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