Army veteran paralyzed from the neck down is set to cross Scotland coast-by-coast in his off-road wheelchair that he controls with his chin

An army veteran who was left paralyzed from the neck down is taking on a huge challenge – crossing Scotland in an off-road wheelchair that he controls with his chin.

Danny Mavor, who served in Iraq, has been a tetraplegic since 2019 when he was injured in a motorbike accident.

Seven years on from his injury, this army veteran is travelling 79 miles in an off-road wheelchair to raise money for the charity that helped him through his recovery.

He spoke to Supercar Blondie about why he’s taking on this challenge.

This army veteran was paralyzed in an injury back in 2019

Danny Mavor signed up for the Army on his 16th birthday, joining the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.

He was deployed to serve in Iraq in 2005.

After his time serving overseas, he struggled with PTSD and took to a life of motorbikes and mountains to give him a sense of freedom.

“When I was riding motorbikes, I felt free. Like I was untouchable,” he told Supercar Blondie.

“I felt alone, but not lonely. It’s the best place to be. I climbed mountains – every single summit I reached, I thought ‘I’m going to have a bigger summit next’.

“Motorbikes were pretty dangerous, and that was part of the reason why I rode them.”

After being paralyzed from the neck down in a motorbike accident in 2019, Mavor had a tough few years of finding himself again.

“When I broke my neck, I lost all identity. I lost all purpose. For the first couple of years, it was just horrific,” he recalled.

During those trying times, one charity proved to be a valuable foundation of support.

The charity that helped Danny Mavor through the dark times

During the early years of his ‘new life’, Mavor was approached by a representative of Regain, a British charity for tetraplegics that helps people with spinal cord injuries to rebuild independence.

“I was very depressed, but he kept pushing me to come and join the meetings, and nothing in my head wanted to go,” Mavor said.

“But after maybe one or two years, I went along and joined the Zoom call, and I was speaking to maybe 10 to 15 people.

“It opened my eyes. Networking is super important.”

Regain even sent him out to a rehabilitation week at a facility down in England.

“That was luxury,” Mavor said.

“There were trips to the beach, the nicest of foods, a beautiful big bed. I was sent as a gift to try and put some light into my life. It came right out of the blue.

“Regain has been a backbone to my networking, speaking to other tetraplegics, and not feeling completely alone in the world.

“They’re a great charity, and I’m very grateful for what they’ve done.”

This army veteran is now aiming to cross Scotland in a off-road wheelchair

In a bid to raise funds for Regain, Mavor is traversing Scotland, passing from Fort William to Inverness.

That’s a 79 mile journey that will take him through the Scottish Highlands.

While raising money for the charity is important to him, there’s also a deeply personal reason for Mavor to take on this endeavor.

“Making a little difference to someone else’s life is a purpose, it gives me a purpose to get up in the morning,” Mavor said.

“When your life in front of you is over, and you have this new life surrounded by pain and problems, you need to a find a purpose to get up.”

How has he been preparing?

“Preparation has bene working with the chair, because it’s like buying a new car,” he explained.

“Normally I have a chin control ball that comes around in front of my face.

“I’ve changed to a chair that harnesses me and supports me from the bumps, so it’s a lot more secure.”

Mavor is planning to take on the route from September 23 to September 25.

As the date draws nearer, the nerves have started to kick in.

“I’m getting a little bit more nervous,” he admitted.

“But I don’t give myself myself the option of saying no.

“I pick up a challenge, and I’ve always been like that, even more so now I’m in a wheelchair.

“I think preparing myself mentally has just been telling myself ‘Chin down and go’.

“Whatever happens is going to happen.”

You can donate to Danny Mavor’s JustGiving page here.

To learn more about the important work Regain work does, visit their website.