Wheelchair-bound student in chariy challenge for Haiti
A BIG-HEARTED student hopes to raise £1,000 for the victims of the Haitian earthquake by riding from London to Brighton - in a wheelchair.
Trainee teacher Dean Charnley, of Warden Road, Kentish Town, was so moved by news footage
of the disaster that he vowed to take on the daunting 56-mile "sponsored wheel" - just four years after completing the same route by bicycle.
Dean, 29, who lost the use of his legs following a spinal infection in 2007, said: "I'm heartbroken seeing the devastation it's caused - watching people mourn and searching for loved ones, seeing how poor
the country is and how hard they are trying.
"It shocked me. Loads of people were saying they wanted to do something but never got off their backsides. I just thought 'I'm going to do it'.
He added: "Being paralysed was a big change but I'm used to it, it's just everyday life now. I did the London to Brighton bike ride when I was able-bodied. It was hard work but I look at this as an extra opportunity. If I can do this then I can do anything."
Dean will set off from Warden Road at 8am on Saturday and aims to reach Brighton Pier two days later.
He has set up a Just Giving web page and is urging
Dean, whose four-year-old daughter Amelia will be waiting for him at the finishing line, said: "My family all live in Brighton. They're a bit shocked and worried for me but they're all behind me and backing me. I think I'm going to sleep for a week afterwards!"
To sponsor Dean, go to www.justgiving.com/dean-charnley
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