A father who was paralysed in the Manchester Arena attack is preparing to scale Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for a very worthy cause.
Martin Hibbert wants to prove how “you can achieve anything” with the right help.
The 44-year-old Bolton-born football agent – who was the closest casualty to the bomb blast to survive – suffered 22 shrapnel wounds and was left paralysed from the waist down when he and his teenage daughter were among the hundreds injured in the terror attack on 22nd May 2017, but now, by showing his fighting spirit, he is aiming to take a Paralympic torch from the London Games to the top of Africa’s highest mountain in an epic seven-day expedition this September, and in doing so, he hopes to raise £1 million for the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA).
“I want to turn an appalling act of terror into a force for greater good.” Martin said.
“I want to do something to shift the spotlight away from those who tried to end my life towards those who helped me rebuild it [and raise money] for the Spinal Injuries Association”.
Now a wheelchair user, Martin will ride a custom-built handbike for the challenge, which he said he was inspired to do after learning that only one in three people with spinal cord injuries receive treatment at specialist centres.
Since his recovery, Mr Hibbert has worked with the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA) as a trustee to offer “hope, confidence and practical skills” to other people paralysed by spinal cord injury.
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He hopes that his climb will send a message of optimism and inclusivity for life after injury.
“We thought we would try and do something within the Paralympic year just to highlight don’t write disabled people off, we can still do a lot and we are still strong and with the right help and support you can achieve anything.” Martin added.
SIA / Cloud Force Marketing / Sam Manton
He continued: “The money raised is my way not just to thank Spinal Injuries Association for everything it has done for me but to make sure it can reach the thousands who remain in urgent need.
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“Without them, I wouldn’t be here today”.
Martin will be joined on his trek by Rob Grew – who ran into the Manchester Arena immediately after the explosion to offer help to the severely injured casualties – and Stuart Wildman, the head nurse at the Major Trauma Centre at Salford Royal, who treated Mr Hibbert when he was admitted after his injury.
“To do it with those two people is going to be amazing and I think there will be a lot of tears.” Martin admitted.
Martin was the closest person to the Manchester Arena bomber to survive. He was left paralysed from the waist down and is now in a wheelchair.
He's now attempting to summit Mt Kilimanjaro and he tells @benshephard & @susannareid100 how he will take on the challenge.
Speaking ahead of Martin’s challenge this year, Nik Hartley OBE – Chief Executive of the Spinal Injuries Association – said: “Martin is a football-loving family man whose life changed unexpectedly and forever one night in Manchester.
“With grit and determination, he has rebuilt his life and is now supporting other injured people.
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“Too often disabled people are seen as second-class citizens, but Martin’s incredible climb is a powerful statement of why achieving one’s goals should not be defined by disability.”
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Keen to show your support to Martin? All donations towards Martin’s target of raising £1 million for the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA) can be made via his official GoFundMe page here.
More information and updates can be found on Martin’s website from 20th March.
And don’t forget to keep up to date with Martin in the lead-up to the challenge on Twitter and Instagram.
Peter Kay issues heartfelt thanks to Manchester fans and teases ANOTHER big announcement
Daisy Jackson
Peter Kay has sent a lovely message to fans in Manchester after making his triumphant return to the live scene last weekend.
The Bolton comedian has just ticked off the first two nights of a mammoth run at the AO Arena, which includes 42 Manchester shows between now and 2025.
On his opening night – his first real venture into the spotlight since he largely stepped away from the public eye 12 years ago – he was moved to tears by the standing ovation he received before he’d even started the show.
And now Peter has issued a heartfelt thank you message.
He said in a statement: “I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who came to the first shows in Manchester.
“It was incredible to be part of such a happy experience.
“Everybody deserves a bit of joy. Here’s to a lot more in the shows to come!!”
And that’s not all – his post also hinted that there’s yet another announcement to come (because apparently more than 100 tour dates and breaking the internet with ticket demand wasn’t enough).
The late monarch – who celebrated her Platinum Jubliee back in June 2022, before sadly passing away in September – the word guessing game that took the world by storm, and the disgraced Manchester United footballer are just three of the topics that have peaked the interest of Brits enough to search for them on Google this year.
Wordle took the top spot on the 2022 list, after gamers nationwide presumably used the search engine to figure out the answers each day.
The puzzle game beat out the 2022 World Cup – which is currently underway in Qatar with the Three Lions set to face France in the Quarter Finals – which came in second place, followed by Ukraine and Lateral Flow Tests (LFTs) rounding out the top five.
Queen Elizabeth II and Mason Greenwood rank in the top 10 most searched topics on Google in 2022 / Credit: Manchester United | Flickr
As well as Ukraine, the country of Russia has also made its way into the top 10 most-searched topics, thanks to the latter’s invasion of the former.
Likely the most familiar name on the list to Mancunians will be that of Manchester United footballer Mason Greenwood – who is due to face trial next year after being charged in 2022 with attempted rape, assault, and controlling and coercive behaviour relating to the same woman.
Wordle is not alone on the list when it comes to games either, as its more difficult counterpart Quordle – which tasks hardcore players with guessing four words in just nine tries – ranked in eighth place on the list.
Ukraine and Russia also ranked in the top 10 amid the ongoing conflict / Credit: DEC (via Twitter)
Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, who was the subject of a new Netflix series starring Evan Peters in 2022, and actor Johnny Depp, who was at the forefront of a highly-publicised libel trial between him and his ex-wife Amber Heard for a considerable chunk of the year, are the last two searches to round out the top 10.
Emily Sergeant -
16th March 2021 
