Wheelchair skate club set to arrive in Paris

The London-based Wheels and Wheelchairs group members will have travelled 121 miles (194km) once they reach the Stade De France

A wheelchair skating group is set to arrive in Paris in time for the Paralympic Games opening ceremony after leaving from East Sussex.

About 35 skaters and five wheelchair users from the London-based Wheels and Wheelchairs group began their 121-mile (194km) quest from Newhaven on 24 August.

The group, which promotes accessible skating, is set to arrive at the Stade De France after skating from Dieppe.

A spokesperson for the group said: "The Brighton to Paris challenge suffered a minor hiccup on Day one. Unfortunately, we had to abandon the UK leg of the trip - Brighton to Newhaven."

Due to the stormy weather the region endured last weekend, the group changed their starting point as it would have been "too dangerous to skate in the rain".

And after encountering "unforeseen roadworks" in the French countryside, the team had to take a 4.3-mile (7km) detour using support vehicles.

The group took a 4-3-mile diversion after coming across roadworks

After crossing the English Channel by ferry the group arrived in Dieppe in the early hours of the morning on 25 August.

They were greeted by a team from France and the Netherlands and had a "very short night's sleep" before setting off on their "epic journey to Paris".

The group skated on a dedicated cycle path from Dieppe to Forges-les-Eaux on 25 August

The first day in France marked their longest day of skating with a 44.7-mile (72km) journey from Dieppe to Gournay-en-Bray.

Group president Isaac Harvey said: "To get to Paris at the end will be such a huge achievement for what Wheels and Wheelchairs is able to achieve, but also the wider picture of what we’re able to achieve when we come together as a community.”

Donations to Wheels and Wheelchairs have so far reached approximately £9,000.

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