A MOTORCYCLE rider who was seriously injured in a road accident is thought to have entered into the record books after completing a number of gruelling challenges.
James Ketchell, Basingstoke, was told he would never walk properly again after shattering his ankle back in 2007.
However, on Saturday, the 31-year-old became the first man believed to have rowed 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean from La Gomera to Barbados, climb 8,848m to the summit of Mount Everest and cycle 18,000 miles around the world in less than six months.
Ketchell explained how he overcame certain difficulties, saying: “Physically it’s not been that bad, it’s all mental. Everything you do is in the mind. There’s a cliché quote that the ‘body achieves what the mind believes’ and that really is true.”
“Prior to cycling around the world I hadn’t really done any cycling, so you don’t need to be a hardened athlete to go and do something. You’ve got to want to do it." He added.
Ketchell is also an ambassador for the scouts and has met over 5,000 children on his journey to share his story.
He was met by over 150 people when he crossed the finish line in Greenwich on Saturday.
