Man who woke up paralysed to take on Everest for charity

Jamie McAnsh, 40, has had his sights set on climbing Mount Everest since he was seven years-old.

However, an uncommon neurological condition eight years ago - combined with a cancer diagnosis two years later - threatened to end his dream.

Determined not to be defeated, Mr McAnsh is preparing to fly to Nepal on
Tuesday ahead of the challenge which will see him trek more than 5,000 metres to one of Mount Everest’s Base Camps using specialised crutches, to fulfil his life-long ambition.

If the former Royal Engineer, of Cwmbran, reaches the South Base Camp - which sits at an altitude of 5,364 metres - he will become one of a few disabled adventurers to do so.

Mr McAnsh and his wife Charlott have had their plans cancelled twice due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but are now more determined than ever to raise awareness of his little-known condition and raise funds for charity.

In January 2014, following a bout of shingles, his life was suddenly turned upside down.

“Eight years ago I went to bed and woke up paralysed from the waist down,” Mr McAnsh explained.

“My life turned upside down overnight. I lost my job and felt like a burden on family and friends.”

Doctors were initially stumped as to the cause of the horrendous pain in Mr
McAnsh’s back, but after a number of tests he was eventually diagnosed with
an uncommon neurological condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS).

The debilitating condition is characterised by constant and often severe pain and can be triggered by an injury or virus.

The former climber, runner and motorbike enthusiast, embarked on a
long and gruelling recovery which has seen him gain some mobility.

However, he still uses a wheelchair and relies on specialised crutches to help him walk.

Despite being in pain every day, and determined not to let his severe disability affect his ambitions, he found relief in sport and the outdoors.

He joined the Cardiff Met Archers Wheelchair Basketball Club, was capped as international for Wales in Wheelchair rugby, discovered hand-cycling and became the first disabled squash player in the world to play in the Welsh Open tournament.

In 2015, Mr McAnsh set himself 12 extreme challenges in 12e months and raised £250,000 for charity.

His challenges included jumping out of an aeroplane at 15,000 feet, handcycling from Cardiff to Tenby as a member of the South Wales Handcycle team in the 2015 Carten100, down-hill rough riding and a WAAT4 (Working As A Team For) 30k trek in the Brecon Beacons.

It was during a challenge to climb South Wales’ highest peak, Pen y Fan, that his wheelchair buckled around 100 feet short of the summit.

With the support of his team he managed to reach the top.

“I had a fantastic team around me who persevered as much as we could,” he explained.

“I thought I was going to drop dead but I had reached the summit. It was a pretty special moment.”

Mr McAnsh now raises awareness about CRPS and gives motivational speeches at schools and events.

“During the past eight years, I have battled with my greatest enemy - my own mind, and with the help and support of those around me, remained strong," he said.

Mr McAnsh was diagnosed with cancer in 2016 and moved in with his mum whilst he underwent treatment. Two weeks after moving in, his mother collapsed and was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

They both cared for one another whilst undergoing chemotherapy and are now in remission.

“My physiotherapist told me at the first ever session that I needed a goal," he said.

"My reply was simply Everest. She smiled and said ‘let’s get you walking across the room first'.”

Mr McAnsh said that what he was most worried about going into his latest challenge was the altitude.

"Oxygen levels affect the neurological system, and I’m starting off with a weakness in mine," he said.

“Not trying is the biggest failure I can do,”

"I want to show people what can be achieved if you don’t give up.”

The McAnshs’ are part of a five-strong team that includes friend and former
motorcycle coach and journalist Andy Ibbott, Nikola Masters, who owns
Osbourne Lodge Nursery in Pontypool and Tim Cochrane.

They leave for Nepal on Tuesday, May 3 and aim to spend ten days walking to Base Camp and four days coming down.