Disabled man covers 120km in Antarctic expedition

A stroke survivor from Devon who is aiming to become the first disabled person to ski solo and unsupported to the South Pole has completed his first week on the ice.

Jonny Huntington, from Kingsbridge, has already covered 120km (75 miles) of his Antarctic expedition.

The 38-year-old has skied about eight-and-a-half hours per day, covering up to 23km (14 miles).

Mr Huntington suffered a stroke when he was 28 leaving him with complete left-sided paralysis and was left with permanent brain damage.

The former GB para-athlete still has a significant lack of strength, mobility and control down his left side, which he said had been exacerbated by the cold climate of his surroundings.

"I have taken a few falls," he said.

"Four in one day is the record, however, it is all about getting back up, brushing yourself down and moving on."

He said his left leg "freely rotates" as he has little to no movement in his left ankle.

"So, the problem I have is that if the edge of my ski clips on something in the snow it can cause the foot to rotate and the ski to veer towards my other ski," he said.

"Crossing skis is really not what you want and can often cause you to fall over."

Mr Huntington is now planning to increase his daily target to consistently hit 24km (15 miles) per day as he progresses into the second week of the expedition.

Through his expedition, he is raising money for four charities including the Invictus Games Foundation, Armed Forces Para-Snowsport Team, Team Forces and The Adaptive Grand Slam Foundation.

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