James Michael Forrest, aka ‘Mountain Man’

Debbie North: Wheelchair adventuring all over the UK

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My guest in this episode is Debbie North. She’s an extraordinary woman who has overcome so many challenges to pursue her outdoors life.

A passionate hill walker when she was younger, Debbie was diagnosed with spinal degeneration a few years ago, meaning that she is now in a wheelchair.

But losing her mobility didn’t stop her determination to be able to explore the outdoors. She just found a motorised wheelchair that can take her over hills and up mountains!

Debbie North: Wheelchair adventuring all over the UK

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

My guest in this episode is Debbie North. She’s an extraordinary woman who has overcome so many challenges to pursue her outdoors life.

A passionate hill walker when she was younger, Debbie was diagnosed with spinal degeneration a few years ago, meaning that she is now in a wheelchair.

But losing her mobility didn’t stop her determination to be able to explore the outdoors. She just found a motorised wheelchair that can take her over hills and up mountains!

Her Terrain Hopper wheelchair looks a bit like a quad bike and can go up to 8mph over steep and tricky ground. So nowadays Debbie can often be found up a Wainwright fell in the Lake District or exploring the Yorkshire Dales accompanied by her husband Andy who walks beside her.

Debbie’s mission over the past few years has been to help other people in wheelchairs discover and explore the outdoors, so she now finds and writes up wheel-friendly walks for The Outdoor Guide – a website full of hikes and outdoors advice run by TV presenter Julia Bradbury and her sister Gina. Debbie’s also an Ordnance Survey #GetOutside champion.

I travelled to Nateby in Cumbria to meet Debbie and we went for a walk in the hills near her farm house. I wanted to hear about the journey to her current outdoors life, her 190 mile coast-to-coast adventure in her wheelchair, and how she thinks the countryside can become more accessible.

Debbie’s is a story of extraordinary resilience and determination – and the power of the outdoors.

I hope you enjoy the podcast episode. Listen out for Debbie’s outdoors tips and the relaxing minute of sounds from nature at the end of the podcast. 

You’ll find Debbie on Instagram @accesstheoutdoorguide

If would be fantastic if you spread the word about the podcast to your family and friends and rate, review and subscribe to the podcast to help other people discover it.

Thanks!

Liv x

Click here to listen to more episodes of The Outdoors Fix podcast.