Dad hopes to travel 300 miles in his wheelchair

Tom Jackson
BBC News, Cambridgeshire
Reporting fromStow cum Quy, Cambridgeshire
Harriet Heywood
BBC News, Cambridgeshire
Tom Jackson/BBC A man in a wheelchair on a concrete path. On one side is green shrubbery and on the other side is an overgrown field. He is wearing an orange top which says "100 Mile Wheelchair Push In May 2025", and the "100" has been crossed out and replaced with "300". He is holding up a certificate and a large cheque, which has a total of £5,950. He is wearing glasses, has short brown hair and is smiling at the camera.Tom Jackson/BBC
Scott Dwyer travelled 100 miles in his wheelchair during May and hopes to push himself to his next target of 300 miles

A man who was badly injured falling from a ladder travelled 100 miles (about 160km) in a wheelchair during May.

Scott Dwyer, from Burwell, near Cambridge, fractured his spine and broke both his legs and ankles after falling about three storeys in 2022.

Also suffering a broken shoulder in three places and a head injury, Mr Dwyer managed to drag himself inside to call for help.

Following his 31-day fundraiser for Magpas Air Ambulance, which "saved my life"," Mr Dwyer has set himself a new goal of hitting 300 miles (about 480km).

Tom Jackson/BBC A man in a wheelchair on the path where he started the challenge. The concrete path has overgrown grass on both sides. He is wearing glasses, has short brown hair and is smiling at the camera. His wheelchair has black wheels and an orange frame. His left leg is encased in an external cage.Tom Jackson/BBC
Scott Dwyer is waiting for further surgery but remains dedicated to continuing his fundraising

Mr Dwyer was refurbishing a window on the third storey of the house in September 2022 when his ladder collapsed under his feet.

Paramedics called Magpas, and he was sedated at the scene.

The medics pulled his legs into place, treated his head wound and put him on a spinal board before getting him out of the house.

Three years after the incident, Mr Dwyer said he was inspired by fundraisers such as the 300-mile bike ride completed by Paddy McGuinness.

"What I decided to do after completing the 100 miles is push on and do 300 miles and raise as much as I can, and see where it can go," he said.

"It's going to be a long old haul, but I am inspired to do as much charity work as I can.

"Is all about giving to Magpas now. They managed to save my life. I'm trying to do something for them. "

Mr Dwyer said the solo challenge was a "tough 31 days" that saw him travel back and forth on the cycle track between the villages of Stow Cum Quy and Lode.

He pushed his chair between about two miles (about 4km) and nine miles (about 15km) each day from the start of May until he hit the 100-mile mark on 31 May.

The father-of-two raised nearly £6,000 for the air ambulance charity.

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