John Harris Paralympian - Kilimanjaro Challenge

No doubt some of the blog readers will know John, but many won't, so I thought it might be a good idea to introduce him. Hopefully, you will understand why 'doing' Kilimanjaro presents such a huge challenge.

Aged just 18, John fell 40ft from a fairground ride and broke his back, despite the best attempts of an on-looker to catch him. An active young man who loved his sport, John understandably took the news very badly, and after the initial hospitalisation, he sought to drown his sorrows for the next three years. That is when a friend got hold of him and convinced him to start training again. John has never looked back!

Fondly nicknamed 'Handsome Harris', John re-discovered who he was and what he was about - a Paralympian athlete, fund raiser and inspirational speaker developed. Gritty, rugged and determined, this is a man who can do anything he puts his mind to. He's a straight, down to earth talker, with a boyish charm and natural whit.

John went on to compete in five Paralympic Games, winning Gold in the discus in 1984 and Silver and Bronze in the discus and pentathlon four years later. At the 1984 Paralympic Games at Stoke Mandeville, John was also awarded the honour of giving the athletes oath, an accolade that was special to him at the time and remains so today.

Outside of competing John has given inspirational talks in a wide range of forums, from primary schools through to international conferences and events, and with thirty years experience under his belt, he still captures audiences today. You can find out more about John as an inspirational speaker at www.pjs-speakers.co.uk 

John has also committed a lot of his time and energy to fundraising and supporting worthy causes, most notably in doing two wheelchair pushes around Wales, when he raised money to improve sporting facilities for disabled athletes.

If you talk to someone who knows John, the word 'inspirational', wont be too far away. He has touched many people's lives, and each and every one of them remember him. One of the reasons we have set up this blog, is because John hopes lots of children and students will read it and share this experience with him, learning that life can be about what you can do, and are good at, not what you can't do.


This is John's 49th year in a wheelchair, and he has maintained a disciplined fitness routine that has helped him maintain good health, great pecs and huge arms. Without that lifelong attitude to training, fitness and well-being, John would not even be able to contemplate the challenge of Kilimanjaro. Even with that background, this is still daunting, and John knows it's going to be tough.

"I'd rather try and do this for myself and for the Dreams and Wishes Charity and die on the mountainside, that sit on my backside wasting away," he says, in his usual down to earth manner.

In the 49 years since his accident John has pushed for thousands of miles, but that has all been road work. Kilimanjaro is an entirely different challenge. "This is going to be hellishly tough, I know that, and it frightens me to be honest, but I always look for the next challenge, and this is it. Now I'm committed, I'm going to give it everything I have got."

John will be 68 in October when his party challenge Kilimanjaro. A couple of people have done it before in a wheelchair, and a couple of 68 year olds have got to the top, but we have been unable to find details of anyone that combined the two. Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Tanzania, the highest mountain in Africa, and the highest free-standing mountain in the world. It stands at 5.895 metres or 19,341 feet above sea level and it will take John six or seven days to reach the summit.

Unlike pushing on flat roads and paths, going up is much more difficult in a wheelchair. John will need to push constantly, on terrain that is far from ideal for a wheelchair. He will also have the added complication of thinning air, and the body having to deal with less oxygen at a time when his muscles will be craving for more. John is expecting the intensity of the effort to be more challenging than anything he has experienced before, and he knows that this is something he should have done in his 20s rather then approaching his 70s, but that wont stop him trying.

If you want to know anything more about John, or the challenge, let us know, and we'll try to cover it in the blog. John wants to share this with his readers, so the more questions and comments the better.

If you would like to discuss a sponsorship opportunity for John's Kilimanjaro Challenge please email Simon at simondeacy@pjs-speakers.co.uk or telephone 01600 729180.

You can also make a donation to John's Kilimanjaro Challenge through the Just Giving page at: https://www.justgiving.com/fullcircleltd/