Man with spinal injury completes Channel challenge

A man living with a spinal injury has completed the challenge of travelling from Marble Arch in London to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris to raise money for the charities which helped him.

Jon Cooke, who lives near Canterbury, Kent, started the 290-mile (466km) Para Arch to Arc Challenge on Friday and told the BBC he was "so relieved" to have completed it on Tuesday - despite delays caused by the soaring temperatures.

It is believed Cooke is the first person with a spinal cord injury to have accomplished the challenge, according to the Spinal Injuries Association.

The 46-year-old said his accomplishment, which included an 87-mile (140km) handbike ride from London to Dover, a 21-mile (33km) row in the Channel, and a 182-mile (292km) handbike ride, had "not sunk in yet".

"I wanted to raise money for several charities that helped me in my personal journey to recovery," he told the BBC.

"I didn't want to let anyone down."

In 2016 Cooke, who was a football referee, was diagnosed with rare tumours on his spinal cord.

Following surgery, he spent time in hospital including three months at the National Spinal Injuries Centre.

Cooke said although surgery and intensive rehabilitation had been successful, he had been left with permanent nerve damage from the waist down.

To thank the numerous charities that assisted him, including WheelPower, Aspire, Spinal Injuries Association and the Dover Rowing Club, Cooke decided to take on the cross Channel challenge.

"While handcycling to Dover, the heat was so trying we arrived at Dover at 11.30pm on Friday on the first part of the journey," he added.

He said their challenge was further compounded by ferry delays and having to split the final ride from Calais to Paris on Sunday into two parts because of the intense heat.

"We only returned to the UK on Tuesday," he added. "It was incredibly tough but we adapted to the situation.

"We were determined to complete the journey. I am proud of myself and my team."

So far, Cooke has raised more than £7,100.

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