Snowdon: Amputee hikes to summit on crutches

Matt Edwards made it to the summit in less than six hours

An amputee who uses crutches has described the "amazing feeling" of successfully hiking to the summit of Yr Wyddfa, also known as Snowdon

Matt Edwards, 24, from Portsmouth, lost part of his left leg below the knee in 2018 when he came off his motorbike.

He made it to the top of Wales' highest peak on Saturday, raising money for the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity (Sands).

Mr Edwards said the hike had been a "mental push".

"I was kind of giving up towards the end, but then something in my brain [was] saying, 'no, I can't give up now because it's for a good cause'," he added.

He completed the challenge in five hours and 45 minutes, along with his friend Jack Sharpe and Mr Sharpe's 13-year-old nephew.

Mr Edwards, a boxing coach, uses crutches as he cannot wear his prosthetic leg due to an abscess.

Mr Edwards found boxing "an instant stress reliever" after he struggled following the crash

"When we were hiking the mountain, there [were] actually people that had two limbs and they looked fit and they were coming down. They'd turned back saying they couldn't do it - it was knackering, too icy, too dangerous.

"That gave me the little push further to say, 'oh, if they can't do it, I'm going to make sure I can'.

"When we reached the summit, it's just an amazing feeling," he added.

Mr Edwards recalled how he found it "physically and mentally hard" to process losing his limb, and turned to drugs and alcohol before discovering boxing could be an "instant stress reliever".

He went on to set up the charity, Boxing for the Brain, to help people with low self-esteem.

The climb is fundraising for Sands after a family member lost their daughter, with the group so far raising more than £1,200.