Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
HERO AT HIS PEAK
Brit soldier blown up in Iraq is first above-the-knee double amputee to scale Matterhorn
A FORMER soldier has become the first above-the-knee double amputee to conquer the Matterhorn.
Neil Heritage, 39, lost his legs after a suicide blast in Iraq in 2004.
But the determined ex-corporal, 39, worked hard in a lengthy rehabilitation and adapted to his prosthetic limbs.
He has finished triathlons, learned to scuba dive and ski, and completed a 3,000-mile row across the Atlantic.
And he has now reached the summit of the 14,692ft peak in the Alps – one of the most dangerous in the world.
Speaking during his descent, he said: “It was a challenge. It’s been a dream for a long time.”
Neil made it up the nearvertical mountainside in three days, reaching the peak at lunchtime on Friday. He tried the climb in 2016 and 2018 but had to turn back due to poor weather.
The former Royal Signals bomb disposal expert, of Poole, Dorset, said it was a “last-minute” decision to try this year, due to Covid-19, and his team only started planning a month ago. The 15-strong group included six wounded, injured or sick veterans who are part of the charity he set up, Climb 2 Recovery.
Support team member Mac Mackay, of the British Mountain Guides, said Neil was inspirational. He added: “He has had attempts before but the reason he didn’t succeed wasn’t anything to do with his climbing. We ran out of good weather and had to return.
“This year, we had the most stable six or seven days the Alps has had for a long time. It takes him a lot longer to climb than another person. Every time he climbs he’s putting his prosthetics through great stress. He copes with everything.”
Four other clients from the charity are also climbing the mountain. Mac said: “Neil is the real motivation for all of them.”
Sponsor Neil at justgiving. com/fundraising/climb-2recovery
ON HIS HISTORIC CLIMB