A Cumbrian man paralysed in an accident 11 years ago is aiming to set a new world record when he embarks on a challenging canoe journey across Africa.

Paraplegic Liam Morris, from Askam-in-Furness, is taking on a remarkable river canoe challenge down the Zambezi River to help raise £100,000 for two charities.

Liam will join two other intrepid paraplegics, Shaun Gash and Michelle Moffatt, in canoeing 240km in just six days, starting at Chirundu in Zambia and finishing at the Mozambique border.

The trio will spend up to seven hours a day in canoes. They will face searing heat, pressure sores and dangerous creatures such as hippos and crocodiles.

After he was paralysed from the waist down in a motocross accident, 34-year-old Liam has not let his disability stop him from pursuing a range of sports - from wheelchair racing to table tennis.

The instrumentation engineer at BAE Systems in Barrow made the Team GB development squad for adaptive rowing and is a regular wheelchair basketball player.

It was through his basketball team, Lancaster Bulldogs, that Liam met Shaun, who has also undergone amputation after an attempt to summit Ben Nevis in 2018.

Liam said: “There really is nothing I can’t do. I just have to adapt and adjust things to find a way which is why when I heard about Shaun’s plan to canoe down the Zambezi, I wanted to be part of it.

“I know it is going to be really hard – not just the canoeing but also the temperatures, the environment, toileting and practically getting in and out of the canoes – but we will find a way to overcome all of these challenges. It’s going to be amazing!”

Liam will be joined on the incredible expedition by his father Darren.

The trip is planned for the end of October and aims to raise £100,000 for the charities Spinal Research and Whizz Kidz.

WhizzKidz is the UK’s leading charity for young wheelchair users. Spokesperson Joanna Barr said: "At Whizz-Kidz, we understand having the right piece for equipment could change a young person’s life forever because it provides emotional well-being, confidence and helps reduce social anxiety as it enables disabled children to take part in more activities.

“However, it is much more than that - our vision is to create a society in which every young wheelchair user is mobile, enabled and included. The money raised by the team undertaking this incredible rowing challenge will be going towards making this a reality."

Every two hours someone in the UK is paralysed after a spinal cord injury, with around 105,000 living daily with the devastating consequences.

Spinal Research is the UK’s leading charity funding medical research around the world to develop effective treatments for paralysis caused by a spinal cord injury.

Chief Executive Louisa McGinn said: “New data reveals the number of people injured or diagnosed with a spinal cord injury is approximately double that previously estimated. The need for research funding has never been greater.

“We’re also in touching distance of function restoring treatments for people paralysed after a spinal cord injury. Every single donation brings our vision of curing paralysis a step closer and we’re really grateful to Shaun, Michelle and Liam for their remarkable efforts.”

To support Shaun, Liam and Michelle go to the Zambezi Canoe Challenge GoFundMe page https://bit.ly/3KlkEr5