Meet the inspiring Telford teen who has become the first to scale the Wrekin in a wheelchair unaided

A Telford teenager who has been left partially paralysed from the shoulder down, has become the first person thought to have scaled the Wrekin in a wheelchair, unaided.

Shayne Dawson-Dymond, aged 16, had a benign bone tumour removed from his left knee at the age of six.

Shayne, who lives in Priorslee, grew up to be a “seriously sporty” teenager, according to mum Claire Dawson, becoming an avid kayaker and horse rider, but two years ago complications from his original operation left Shayne paralysed from the chest down.

Mum Claire said while it has not been confirmed, it is thought Shayne suffered from “idiopathic progressive polyneuropathy”, a problem with how the brain receives and sends information to the rest of the body leaving him partially paralysed.

But she said the former St Georges Primary School is now with the GB Junior Team for Paracanoeing and Wolverhampton Canoe Club.

“Shayne is now paralysed from the chest down in his left leg and will need to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

“While our lives changed forever, Shayne has just seen this as the ultimate challenge and has no intention on it stopping him achieving his sporting goals, he now is going all out to be the best he can in ParaCanoe already being accepted for the ParaCanoe Junior Academy.

“He has also given talks on how disability shouldn’t stop you as there is always a way - I can't tell you how proud of Shayne we all are.”

And at the end of last month, she said the sporty teenager took on Telford’s toughest challenge, becoming the first person to ever go up the Wrekin in a wheelchair, unaided.

Shayne said: “I woke up one day and decided I wanted to take on the Wrekin. It was quite a hard challenge, as much physically as it was mentally.

“My personal trainer, Mickey Bushell, climbed the Wrekin on his hands, and I looked it up and apparently nobody has ever done it in a wheelchair before and I wanted to be the first.”

The teen added: “Because of my conditions I have to take things day by day.

“Sport has been a massive thing for me. On the dark days when I am sad, doing sport is my coping mechanism. So I go out in my boat or my horses and it clears your mind and makes you feel so much better.”