Martin Symons, who can barely walk 50 metres and needs a ventilator to stay alive, plans to wheelchair across England to raise money for the nation's leading respiratory unit in his latest charity challenge.

In the last week of June 2009 he will ride ‘Coast to Coast’ from Bowness-on-Solway to Tynemouth 

following 100 miles of the Hadrian's Wall cycle route in a bid to collect over £50,000 for the Lane Fox Respiratory Unit Patient’s Association at St Thomas's Hospital. 

Martin is now looking for sponsors and supporters to help him accomplish this feat.  He has already attempted to trek to Everest Base Camp, summitted Ben Nevis and Snowdon and canoed down the Miño in Spain raising many thousands for charity.

 Martin has a rare condition called Klippel-Feil Syndrome which creates a fusion in the cervical spine. Depending on the area of fusion, there can be related congenital conditions. In Martin’s case, he was born with a cleft palate, hearing loss, underbite, short neck with webbing, painless restriction of cervical movement, scoliosis, kyphosis and a non severe aplastic anaemia.

Martin’s whole life has been a challenge and he has never let his condition deter him from tackling journeys on which many able-bodied people would stuggle. However, over the last few years, he has become less able to trek or canoe and the physical aspects of these activities are now beyond him.

In the last week of June 2009 Martin will cross England on the Hadrian’s Wall Cycle Route from Bowness-on-Solway in the west to Tynemouth in the east, 100 miles from coast to coast. He will spend 3 to 4 hours in the ‘saddle’ each day covering between 15 and 20 miles. The journey will take him 7 days. He will require a full 8 hours on his respirator each night to recover enough strength for the following day’s adventure.

 Please support Martin in this challenging journey and help raise funds for the Lane Fox Respiritory Unit – a Breath-Giving Cause that makes a difference to people lives.