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tv   Martins Mountain  BBC News  December 29, 2022 11:30am-12:01pm GMT

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this is bbc news. we will have the headlines and the main news stories at the top of the hour after this
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problem. at the top of the hour after this roblem. , ., ., gentle string music. i wanted something that people looked and thought, "he's doing what?!" it's hard enough for somebody with legs to do it, and here's a guy doing it in a wheelchair. it is a risk. i'm putting my life on the line doing it.
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it was such a relief to get there. and know that we'd done it. just so proud, just so proud. clapping and whooping. thank you, thank you. goodjob, goodjob, goodjob. hello, hello, hello! how are you doing? i'm good, and i've got all of our stuff, as well. how are you? 0k? - martin hibbert has set himself an unbelievable challenge — to climb the highest mountain in africa, kilimanjaro, in a wheelchair. # in thejungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight...# the first thing i saw when i came out was my trike, so i'm happy. i don't even care if i don't got underwear, as long as i've got my trike i can do it. they laugh and sing.
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over the next five days, martin will battle his way through rainforest, volcanic desert, ice and snow to reach the summit. if you want to start ripping. almost doesn't seem real, does it? all of those zoom calls we've had, and team calls, it's mental. it's nearly three years since i went, "got an idea!" martin is climbing kilimanjaro to raise money for the spinal injuries association. his team includes members of the charity like ollie, stuart, a trauma nurse who helped to save martin's life...
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there we go, there we go. ..and steve, martin's best friend, always at his side. and also remember that although we are attempting to summit, the most important thing for all of you is to get home safely. everyone has a reason to go home, and that reason is there's nothing on the mountain that is more important than getting you home in one piece with all of your limbs back to your families. martin's family means everything to him. his wife, gabby, his mum, janice, his daughter, eve. manchester, 2017. the terror attack at an ariana grande concert killed 22 people and left hundreds injured. martin and his daughter, eve, were less than 20 metres away from the explosion.
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she was severely injured, you know. at the time she was 14 — she'll be 20 this year — but you know, she's seen all of her friends learning how to drive, go to university and do all of these things, and she has been able to do that. and the fact that every time i see her she has a smile on her face it's that typical hibbert mentality, you know? i just wanted to show that it is up to her, the life that she leads, and if she wants to do something then it's on her to do it and to find the people that will support her to do it. martin was hit with more than 20 pieces of shrapnel. 0ne severed his spinal cord, leaving him paralysed from the waist down. i've always kind of wondered why we survived, being so close and things, but i think i probably... it kind of came to me when we saw kilimanjaro up close, it's for this moment, you know, this is the reason why i survived, you know, to change perception on disability, to actually show if we embrace and celebrate disability, look at what we can do.
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we can literally climb mountains. so, yes, i'm just ready to smash it now, and this is where the journey begins, not ends. to get up the mountain safely, martin's team has hired a group of expert guides. they practise manoeuvring martin's trike over rough terrain. so pull back. that's it. he's doing good. the team are doing good, very good, picking it up very quickly. they understand what they need to do. we're going to swap teams now, see how the next team gets on. it is good to do this just so they get a feel for it, albeit i know it's going to be a lot tougher than this. singing and clapping.
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absolutely amazing, i'm honestly buzzing. i feel very emotional, and, like, literally two years of my life is... i'm so ready for it — all of the training, the team around us, my friends, the nurses that saved my life. yeah, it's amazing, absolutely amazing. and a bit of a song and dance there, as well, so i'm nice and warm now. see you in a bit! woohoo! one, two! we're going to go through all emotions, aren't we? but, you know, that's been my life for the last five years. the climb starts in dense rainforest. big step. lift from there and there as well. 0k. for the big step.
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0k. almost immediately, there are hazards to overcome. if anybody needs to stop, just say. right, one, two, three, down. hang on. has the brake come off? no, the brake is off. coming down in one, two, three. there we go. you all right, steve? yes, i'm all right. we're down! good job, good job. cheering. have we got any wd—iio or anything? as i say, the brakes are... we'll get some in there. one, two, three. - when i came up with this crazy idea and they said, "get a team together." i thought, i am crazy enough to do it but who else? 0bviously my best mates, the nurses that looked after me at the salford royal. you know, a lot of these people have seen me at my worst. singing.
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photographer: maximum! group: maximum! photographer: respect! group: respect! photographer: oggy, oggy, oggy! group: oi, oi, oi! everything that i wanted, you know, when abedi wanted to destroy that five years ago, so what a perfect reflection for doing this together with the people that saved my life. there's no better message. chanting.
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he is doing very well and he is looking forward to smashing it, and according to my experience, i am sure he's going to make it to the top with the support of a strong team, great team, and he keeps smiling always and he enjoys it. this experience is absolutely fantastic, and to see what martin's doing for people with spinal cord injuries, just showing everyone how you can live a fulfilled life isjust inspirational, so it's great. go, martin team! go, kilimanjaro! i think one of my shrapnel wounds is rubbing. is it? can you just have a look at it?
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availing you? yeah, it does look a bit angry. that's the one, yeah? i know it sounds really dodgy, but would you just itch it, just, like, really gentle? oh... oh, yeah! this is a friendship you'll never break. i know. i'm filling in the gaps for the stuff that martin can't do himself, in effect. i'm just going to put some sunscreen on it, just to sort of lubricate it a bit. have a look at the one on the right, as well. i'm making sure his skin is good, cos if he ends up with pressure damage or moisture damage or shearing damage, like, that could end this whole thing in one go. oh, yeah. yeah, lifelong friendships are being formed across the board, which is fantastic. adversity brings this sort of thing out in people and it's something i will treasure and take home with me. do you want it tucked in orjust pushed down? just pushed down is fine. rain falls
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put this poncho on. yeah, just right over there. the weather changes. it's cold and wet, and the team are starting to struggle. singing. been thinking a lot _ about the people who are here. i've been thinking... i've been thinking a lot about what it means i i to the charity that i work for, l and how hard everybody's worked to get here. people with spinal cord injury are so underrepresented - and so misunderstood, | so people think that it's a generic term that you've got a spinal cord injury, _ the biggest problem you have is that you can't walk. -
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that's not true. it's your bowel, it's your bladder, it's your skin. i and that's what sia advocate for — advocate for a fulfilled. life of your choosing - for anyone with a spinal cord injury, and that's what - martin's mountain is all about. got some paracetamol. i do i need any ibuprofen? as the rain continues to fall, there's a worry — martin's best friend steve is in trouble. get down safe, yeah? he has altitude sickness, headaches, shortness of breath, nausea. he's advised to head back down the mountain. it's been my one worry, but, yeah, i'm gutted. gutted for him. give me two minutes. look after yourself. but i know, like, he wanted to do this for his wife who passed away a couple
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of years ago, so... he'll be gutted. how is everybody this morning? have you seen everybody? i think there's a lot of trepidation in camp, would be the best way to describe it. you are out of your comfort zone by a good few vertical metres at this point. yeah _ morning, ladies! ooh, ladies! - i said automatically because i saw that! morning.
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the other one's got a lift, so we canjust pull the salopettes through. 0k. all right. so i'm going to get under your arms and pull you forward. stu's going to give him a hoik. one, two, three... that's better. yep, we're on. is that better, martin? good. there you go. i forgot about brekkie! losing steve has hit the team hard, but they are determined to keep going. martin...mountain! well done! it's tiring. everybody's doing| really, really well. this is tough. we're going at a good pace, .
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everybody's sticking together. martin is now almost 15,000 feet up. he's heading to kibo hut, the last camp before the summit. each member of the team has their own way of keeping themselves going. "i'm proud of you, dad. "we all love you. "keep going. "all the hard work will pay off. - "i love you loads. "from zac." he made it for me for summit night and if it got tough. - that's what i will use — that's my motivation. phew. right, we need to move! laughter. give me five minutes.
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getting this far up the mountain is a remarkable achievement. martin's. .. mountain! don't write off somebody �*cause they're in a wheelchair. look at what they can do when they've got the right help and support. they can climb mount kilimanjaro. chanting. maximum! respect! hopefully it just shows everybody that with the right help and support, you know, disabled people can literally do anything they want to do. hopefully, people see that and embrace disability and not turn their back on it. so, there's a long way to go, but hopefully, doing this has highlighted just how important, you know, help and support is. so, congratulations. you made it to kipo hut! yay! applause. and just the last little - challenge of a very short 7km hike to the summit.
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nice and easy. a final team meeting. it's decided for safety reasons that the team will split up and attempt to get to the top in different groups. everyone has tojust find their pace. - don't try and keep up. with people, otherwise you definitely will not get - to the top, and if at any point you get tapped on the shoulder and told that you need to go i down the mountain, you will be taken down the mountain. - if you need help tomorrow, if you're tired, if you're - cold, if you're finding things hard, just askl for help, 0k. there's lots of stuff. we can do to help you, but only if you tell us. so proud of you. love you. your little boy — that's. what's more important. just a short while later, chris starts to feel unwell. he is told to head back down. sobbing. martin has now lost two key
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members of his team. ascent day, and martin sets off in the dark. he is attempting to get to the top with the expert guides who have supported him all the way up. as he battles the mountain, martin is thinking about his family — his daughter, eve, his wife, gabby, and his mum, janice, who died in november last year. he has brought some of her ashes to spread at the top. cheering.
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martin has made it to gilman�*s point, one of the three official summits at the top of kilimanjaro. goodjob, goodjob, goodjob! there is the briefest celebration, some photos, and then a moment martin will neverforget. we've done it, we're at the top of kilimanjaro. i said when my mum passed away
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in november, and i know she was immensely proud. i said she was going to be with me, and she is, so ijust said, when i got the top of kilimanjaro, i'd spread some ashes, play ourfavourite tune, so i'm going to do that now. sniffing. so, it's the carpenters, for all we know. this is for you, mum. that was a very special moment, and to play that music as well, which is a very special song, between me and my mum... i'm getting emotional now! he sobs. sorry! love you, mum. singing.
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the team meet up for a final farewell. it is a joyous celebration, a thank you, and a goodbye. singing. i said we'd all come back as different people and i certainly will do, just the love and like that...them just... like, just, yeah, i'll definitely be a different person now going home, and i think everyone else will be as well. singing. yeah, so, thank you from my heart, and to everybody, thank you. honestly, it's been amazing, and we've all been a team, and a bit of my heart is going to be left here, i think. so, yes, a thank you to everybody...everybody. thank you. applause. on three...
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martin's...mountain! from a single act of violence and the 22 we lost, the hundreds, maybe thousands who still pay a daily cost, there comes choirs, there comes music, there comes campaigns, there comes stories, there come glades of light, and daily fights, and love in all its glory. there comes martin in his wheelchair with just one thing on his mind — and dream, believe, achieve, he says, and onwards, forwards, climb, and with northern bloody—mindedness and crazy as this sounds, we'll raise hope, we'll raise awareness, we will raise a million pounds. those who saw him at his
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lowest, at the very gates of hell, those who stitched him back together and said, "you're mad. "we'll climb as well." from a base camp, on a bomb site, this is wheelchair vs volcano. yes, it's rough and, yes, it's tough, but martin's often heard to say they'll climb for dignity, humanity, for all like me who say believe in us achieving, we climb mountains every day. and over rock and over rivers and through heat and sheeting rain and through blood and sweat and fears and through sickness and through pain, over boulders, aching shoulders, something holds us. through the snow, something in us, deep within us, we dig in and on we go. and he made it to the summit and united with his mum, and he raised a flag to manchester, with, "look, mum, what i've done!"
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and to those who would divide us, who spread hatred all around, this is love can conquer mountains and he's never coming down. and it's strong and it can catch us, it can lift us to the top, and martin, he'sjust starting, and he's never gonna stop. from a single act of violence comes a simple act of love. we rise, we rise, we rise, we rise, we rise...we rise above.
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hello again. in the lead up to new year we are looking at the weather remaining on settled. still some reign, some snow and it continues to be windy. a thine of heavy showers moving from the west to the east. falling as snow on higher ground in scotland. gusty winds in the west and through the english channel. if anything, temperatures down a on yesterday, six to about i! anything, temperatures down a on yesterday, six to about 11 degrees. as we head through this evening and overnight, the met office has issued a warning, an amber weather warning, for heavy reign. there is the risk of flooding and travel disruption is quite possible. valid from three o'clock in the morning on friday to midday. it is because of this band of reign coming in overnight, especially in southern scotland, and as it engages with the cold air in scotland, central and northern areas will see some snow above 200 metres,
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potentially ten centimetres of snow and we could have another ten added onto that tomorrow before it eventually moves away. for most of us it is going to be a wet start to the day. it is still going to be windy. it will brighten up. still some showers. still wintry in nature in the far north of scotland. temperatures up touch on what we have today. as we head into words the new year, you can see how unsettled the picture is. weather fronts in the south, weather fronts from the atlantic. on saturday, new year's day, we will have some reign moving across england and wales. showers in england, northern ireland and southern scotland. at this time of the year temperatures in edinburgh and london should be 7 degrees. you can see in norwich, 15 degrees, way above average. as we head on in through the evening period towards new year's day
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itself, still some uncertainty. the forecast could change. it looks like some of us will see some reign. some will have clearer skies. as we continue through the course of new year's day, the forecast remains untitled —— unsettled. highs of 12.
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this is bbc news — welcome if you're watching here in the uk or around the globe. i'm joanna gosling. our top stories a fresh wave of russian missiles targets major cities across ukraine, one of the biggest attacks for weeks. here in the uk — the new boss of the british trades union body says all sides will need to compromise to avert a new wave of strikes in 2023. i would urge the government to talk to unions and to come to the table, let's find a way to get people's wages rising, let's find a way to get people's income is increasing. a third person is arrested over the christmas eve pub shooting near liverpool which killed elliie edwards — two other people are also being questioned. in sport — erling haaland has became the quickest player to reach 20
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premier league goals in a season, with two against leeds as manchester city won 3—1 to move to second in the table.

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