Quadruple amputee prepares for Kilimanjaro challenge

Corinne Hutton preparing for her Kilimanjaro challenge in the new environmental chamber

A quadruple amputee is using a cutting-edge environmental chamber to prepare for a charity trek to the summit of Kilimanjaro.

Corinne Hutton is using the facility at the University of the West of Scotland to replicate extreme environments.

Ms Hutton founded the Finding Your Feet charity after losing both her hands and legs, below the knee, after suffering from acute pneumonia and septicaemia.

She will set off on 29 September and aims to reach the summit on 6 October.

The chamber, one of only two in Scotland, is based at the university's new £110m Lanarkshire campus in Blantyre.

Reducing isolation

Ms Hutton said: "Following an infection in 2017 I had the majority of one of my lungs removed, so dealing with the altitude on Kilimanjaro has been a worry for both me and my family.

"The fact that UWS can offer this fantastic, state-of-the-art facility to help me get an understanding of how I'll deal with the conditions is just incredible."

Ms Hutton said the university has been a great supporter of her charity and her trip to Tanzania.

She added: "I'm honoured to be an ambassador for them and delighted that they're so helpful in our goal of reducing isolation within the amputee community and helping those who have been through limb loss to realise their full potential."

UWS' environmental chamber replicates environmental extremes, from walking in the desert to standing on one of the world's highest mountains.

'Inspiration to many'

It can be used by athletes to improve physical performance in the run up to major sporting events.

Businesses and the public will also be able to access the chamber and take part in altitude training sessions.

The chamber controls a number of variables to create extreme conditions, with temperatures ranging from 10C to 40C, altitude from zero to 5,000m above sea level, and humidity between 10% and 90%.

Prof Craig Mahoney, principal and vice-chancellor of UWS, said: "Corinne Hutton is an inspiration to many of us, and it's truly amazing that she's going to climb Africa's tallest mountain for her charity, Finding Your Feet.

"We will be supporting Corinne all the way, and we hope that our environmental chamber will help her prepare for the challenge ahead, and that she'll be the first of many to use our new, state-of-the-art facility."