'It really hurts' - Disabled Shrewsbury adventurer forced to end Antarctic world record sit-ski attempt
A paralysed adventurer from Shrewsbury is "gutted" after being forced to end his world record attempt in Antarctica.
Darren Edwards shared an emotional video with followers on Thursday, revealing that his attempt to complete the longest sit-ski expedition to the South Pole in history has come to an end.
Darren, who is paralysed from the chest down, aimed to sit-ski 222 kilometres in just 20 days. However, he faced brutal conditions, including temperatures of minus 40°, sastrugi, and snow he described as being like "sandpaper", meaning he can only move forward a very short distance each time he used his poles.
Darren and his team - which included British explorer Lucy Shepherd, Chief Scout Dwayne Fields and filmmaker Matthew Biggar - discussed their progress and concluded they would not reach the South Pole at their current rate.
In a social media post, Darren said: "I am not entirely sure how to say what I need to. Redefining impossible was all about challenging what can be done by someone with a spinal cord injury, but also to hopefully empower and inspire other people to challenge what they deem impossible in their own lives.
"As a team we have battled through each minute and each hour. I think this is the toughest physical and mental thing I have ever done.
"In my life I have been very lucky to have some life changing experiences and succeeded. We are not going to reach the South Pole.
"The distances we are dong each day, the amount of hours we are out each day, the terrain we ate trying to get through, it's so incredibly tough.
"We had a chat as a team, with our two fantastic guides, and the reality is that we are not reaching the South Pole in time.
"We don't have the rations, can't afford the re-supply, and raising the money for this was impossible at times as well."
He added: "The reality is we are not covering enough distance each day, we are far to slow to reach the South pole in time. And that hurts, really hurts.
"I feel like I have let a lot of people down. I am really sorry. I don't know how to feel, but we learn more from our failures than our successes, and I have been very lucky that up until this point it has been success I can talk about. But, this story is different."
Despite the setback, Darren said he is "not giving up hope" of reaching the South Pole, even if it is "by unintended means".
Through the mission, he was hoping to raise £100,000 for Wings for Life, a charity which funds spinal cord research and clinical trials worldwide.
Darren was paralysed in a climbing accident in North Wales in 2016. However, he has not let his injury define him and has since completed several remarkable expeditions.
Most recently, in April 2023, he was part of the first adaptive team to cross Europe's largest ice cap, Vatnajökull, in Iceland, completing the journey in 11 days.
"We failed and I am not overly sure how to deal with that," he continued.
"I am gutted and really thankful to all of the sponsors and partners who have supported us on this journey, and so sorry to have let you down by not reaching the South Pole.
"We could continue and plough ahead as a four, with injuries, and go until we run out of food. But, I don't see the success in that. I actually think the success was starting in the first place and charting an area and exploring an area that someone like me has never been."
