Amputee treks to Pole (From Salisbury Journal)

Amputee treks to Pole

10:10am Sunday 15th January 2012 in News

AN adventurous amputee is heading for the South Pole after a Ringwood prosthetist designed him a special titanium leg to withstand the freezing temperatures.

A century after Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen opposed each other for the title to be the first man to reach the South Pole, 42-year-old Marc Woods is making the same epic journey with a leg crafted by Dorset orthopaedics’ Bob Watts.

Mr Woods is contending with temperatures of minus 50C, winds of 80mph and blinding snowstorms. He and his team mate James Mark are also negotiating crevasses and snow bridges that rise 3,000m above sea level on an extreme race course from the frozen coastline of Novo to the South Pole.

The unassisted team set off from the start line last Wednesday, and over the next few weeks they will be battling against one of the coldest, driest and highest deserts on the planet while pulling toboggans weighing 70kg a total of 750km.

Five other teams are tackling the challenge, and Blue Peter presenter Helen Skelton is attempting the same journey on an ice bike for Sport Relief 2012.

Mr Woods, a four-time Paralympian gold medallist who lost his leg to cancer at the age of 17, is raising money for Mencap.

He said: “People wouldn't expect myself, an amputee, to be doing what I am doing and I think this race is a chance to challenge views and raise money for charity at the same time. I swam for Great Britain for a long while and that was great but I retired a while ago and I was due a new challenge. This seemed like a good opportunity to have a go. It was definitely something that was outside of my comfort zone in a lot of ways.”

Mr Watts has been working with Mr Woods for more than seven years.

Mr Woods said: “It’s the quality of the socket he can make for me. I know he will make a limb for me that will help me do the things that I want do to.”

Mr Watts has had to adapt a specially designed artificial leg to cope with the rigours of the expedition.

Mr Woods is aiming to raise £20k for Mencap. To sponsor him go to virginmoneygiving.com/team/TeamSladenWoods