Seven-day marathon attempt begins for disabled Shropshire man

Darren Edwards flew from Cape Town "for the blue ice runway of Antarctica"

A disabled adventurer from Shropshire starts the first of seven marathons on seven continents in seven days later.

Darren Edwards from West Felton, who uses a wheelchair, is taking part in the World Marathon Challenge in Antarctica.

He will then complete a marathon a day in South Africa, Australia, Dubai, Spain, Brazil and the US.

Mr Edwards, a former Army reservist, suffered a life-changing spinal cord injury while mountain climbing in 2016.

He was preparing to start a job as a history teacher when he was injured in North Wales, leaving him paralysed from his chest down.

After starting his marathon challenge at Antarctica, he will travel to Cape Town, Perth, Dubai, Madrid, Fortaleza and aim to finish in Miami on 6 February.

He will raise money for the Armed Forces Para-Snowsport Team, a charity that supports wounded, injured and sick military personnel.

In a Facebook post he said he would be "crossing over 18 time zones, spending over 54 hours in the sky, and spanning the globe in just 168 hours".

Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [e-mail]