Inspirational paralysed fundraiser embodies Rob Burrow spirit after epic Lands End to John O’Groats challenge

Andy Walker, 47, was left 'emotional' after he completed his epic 1,000-mile voyage from Lands End to John O’Groats on Saturday in a battery-powered quad cycle. The ex-competitive swimmer spent two gruelling weeks travelling along the spine of the country - covering distances of up to 85 miles a day.

He has so far raised more than £12,000 - part of which will go towards a new Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease for those affected by the incurable condition.

Speaking about his world-record-setting achievement at the finish line, Andy said: “It’s emotional. I was crying might eyes out. Without a doubt, it’s the biggest challenge that I’ve ever encountered in my life.

“It’s never been done before - probably for a good reason - and I definitely wouldn’t think about doing it again. There’s a sense of relief. I can’t wait for a pint, without a shadow of a doubt, and I want to find out how the football is getting on. But it’s been amazing, and I’ve enjoyed the pain of it because that’s the challenge.

“I want to set a precedent and say to the spinal community, people coming through, ‘Look what you can do with a positive mindset, great support and a sense of purpose’.”

Andy, from Oldham, said one of his biggest challenges was keeping up with the demanding daily schedule. But the fundraiser, who is also collecting money for Regain Sports Charity and Mahdlo Youth Zone, said he was already thinking about what he could do next.

He said: “An average cyclist does a day on our tour in six hours. We’ve been doing 12-hour days, some of them have even been 15 hours. And even when it’s sunny, it’s windy and it's cold.

"It’s been exhausting. We were up at 5am before everybody else - and we come in three hours after everyone else, and I’m a high-level tetraplegic. I want to say thank you to our sponsors and our charities because they are the real heroes, the people who support us… But I’m now also thinking, ‘What next?’”

Andy was 28 when he suffered a spinal cord injury - leaving him paralysed from the neck down - by hitting a rock as he dived into the sea in Goa, India. He previously rode 350 miles across Kenya in a quad bike and said he was motivated to complete extreme charity challenges to “transform” others’ lives.

He added: “When you have a spinal cord injury, that changes everyone’s life. There’s nothing that will ever compare to going from being an athletic 28-year-old to breaking your neck and being paralysed from there down.

“You can’t give your mother a cuddle on her birthday. It’s a horrendous life-changing injury, and it impacts every single person. Since my accident, I’ve had absolute conviction and determination to lead a full and rewarding life. Taking on these extreme challenges helps me continue to live my dream and make a difference to other people.”

Andy started his epic journey in Cornwall on August 4, before heading through Shropshire and then up to the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District. And he was greeted by a crowd of family and well-wishers when he arrived at John O’Groats, on the tip of Scotland, at around 5.30pm on Saturday.

Leeds Hospitals Charity, which is benefitting from a third of the money Andy raises, needs just £500,000 to build a £6.8m MND centre in Rob Burrow’s name.

A spokesperson from charity said: “All of us at Leeds Hospitals Charity have been closely following Andy’s epic journey, and we have been absolutely amazed by his dedication to take on and complete a challenge of this magnitude. Andy’s determination to keep going and finish this world-first challenge, despite the physical and mental challenges he will have faced along the way is truly inspirational.”

Paul Watkins, director of fundraising at Leeds Hospitals Charity, said Andy was ‘embodying’ the famed rugby player’s legacy by taking on the challenge.

He previously said: “Andy is embodying Rob Burrow’s famous quote ‘In a world full of adversity, we must dare to dream’. His positive attitude and determination has proved he can overcome his own barriers to inspire others.

“This challenge is an incredibly difficult one, so for someone to be doing that on a bike, controlled only by their chin, is truly incredible. The money he raises will help us get even closer to reaching our £6.8 million target to build a specialist MND centre in Leeds.”

Andy suffered his accident in 2006, with doctors giving him just a one per cent chance of survival. But he refused to give up and was moved to a specialist hospital for spinal injuries in Delhi where he underwent a major operation to realign his spine. He spent a further eight months at Sheffield Northern Hospital after he was flown back to England.

Andy has since set up a motivational speaking company, called Living Your Dreams, to help inspire others to live life to the full. And he was awarded an MBE for services to disability in 2019.