Lexi, an army veteran and below-knee amputee, is wheeling the equivalent of a marathon every day using a non-sport wheelchair from John o' Groats to Land's End (JOGLE). As part of her 874-mile long charitable challenge she's been using National Cycle Network routes to navigate safely from one end of nation to the other.
Lexi said: "Without the cycle routes this challenge wouldn’t have been possible." Credit: Rachel Sutherland
National Cycle Network routes guiding the way聽
Lexi, who has broken four Guinness World Records, is set to break a new one - wheeling 蹿谤辞尘听.听
Throughout her journey, the National Cycle Network has allowed her to safely wheel from one place to the next.听
Using the Caledonia Way through parts of Scotland and to Bristol and avoid busy roads. Lexi said:聽
"Without the cycle routes this challenge wouldn鈥檛 have been possible.
"We couldn鈥檛 have got across Bristol or Glasgow without them.
"At times they鈥檝e been the safest routes and if we couldn鈥檛 use them it would have put an end to the journey. They鈥檝e literally made this journey possible. 聽
"We looked at so many different routes and they were the safest ones we could have possibly taken and they were really enjoyable too. 聽
"It鈥檚 been nice meeting people along the routes stopping and chatting and telling them about my challenge.听
"Some cyclists who鈥檝e done JOGLE before have told me about the route from their perspective and when they found out about my journey they basically asked 鈥榓re you mad?!鈥 I've had that a few times now."聽
Throughout her journey, the National Cycle Network has allowed her to safely wheel from one place to the next. Credit: Phil Mingo / PPA
Pushing boundaries in a non-sport wheelchair
Lexi has climbed the equivalent of Mount Everest - reaching over 29,000ft on her longest challenge yet.
"It's always been my dream to climb Mount Everest - I can't do it in person, so I've now done it in ft while wheeling from John o'Groats to Land鈥檚 End!
"I climbed 2,600ft in one day, I got into the car and thought I was going to pass out.
"All and all the journey's been amazing really."
Lexi embarked on her challenge on 27 August and has been wheeling between five and seven hours a day for five consecutive days at a time with one or two rest days in between.
Lexi has wheeled through strong head winds, torrential rain and up 18% gradient hills but continues to push on with the two charities she鈥檚 raising money for at heart.
The passionate supporter is aiming to complete the route within 36 days - reaching Land鈥檚 End by 10 October.
鈥淭he charity I鈥檓 raising money for provided me with my first hand bike so I could get cycling again along with my wheelchair which actually fits me 鈥 I want to give back to them.
鈥淭he wheelchair the NHS provided me was three sizes too big for me, with the expectation that I will grow in size 鈥 with the idea that because you can鈥檛 exercise you鈥檒l put on weight.
鈥淭his is one of the things that I鈥檓 trying to disprove and say to people 鈥榠t doesn鈥檛 have to be this way鈥. Even though you don鈥檛 have a sports wheelchair you can use a normal chair.
鈥淚f I can do it then you can.鈥
Putting women's sport in the spotlight
鈥淭he reason why I鈥檓 doing my is partly to raise awareness of people with chronic pain conditions like mine, and to raise awareness of women鈥檚 rugby too.
鈥淎t the end of each day I鈥檒l be going into a local women鈥檚 rugby club, whether that鈥檚 a grassroots or premiere league club, get them to sign it and pass the ball onto the next club - connecting all the clubs along the way.
鈥淚 want to highlight the way women鈥檚 sports can change people鈥檚 lives for the better. It inspires so many people including myself and my support team who鈥檒l be with me during the challenge.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a way for me to give something back, they鈥檝e been so supportive over the years.
鈥淗opefully it will encourage more people to go along to games across the UK too.鈥
Lexi's JOGLE team who have been supporting her throughout the challenge (Lexi is pictured at the front in the middle). Credit: Lexi Chambers
The value of traffic-free routes
In the build-up to the challenge, she鈥檚 used her local National Cycle Network Routes 34 and 2 to train on.听
鈥淯sing these traffic-free routes to train on is so important - it means I can rack up the miles, have my headphones on and not have to worry about competing with vehicles.听
鈥淚 use these routes from my home to reach Exmouth and go along the seafront which is great for my speed sessions.听
鈥淏ecause I鈥檓 low to the ground it feels much safer on off-road routes.听
鈥淚 have a friend who uses a hand bike and she鈥檚 been run over a couple of times on the road. 聽
鈥淎fter hearing that I thought there鈥檚 no way I鈥檓 risking it on the roads. I can鈥檛 afford the injury time put it that way.听
鈥淚鈥檒l stick to anything off-road now. 聽
鈥淎 few gates along the way have been taken out now which means I can travel further along which is great.听
鈥淚 see lots of different people using the same routes that I use to train on too whether that鈥檚 running or cycling 鈥 I've got to know their faces. We say hello to each other, and we all say the same thing that it鈥檚 nice to feel safe and not have to worry about traffic.鈥澛
“The charity I’m raising money for provided me with my first hand bike so I could get cycling again along with my wheelchair which actually fits me – I want to give back to them." Credit: Lexi Chambers
Breaking records while raising money for charity
Lexi, who has complex regional pain syndrome, fibromyalgia, and nerve issues, is no stranger to a challenge. In 2022, she broke world records for the fastest half and full marathons using a non-sport wheelchair.
In 2023, she achieved two new world records. One for the furthest distance covered in 12 hours using a wheelchair and the other for the Bath Half Marathon.
Before this she spent eight years on crutches before she had her leg amputated due to her condition.
Along with smashing world records, Lexi has raised thousands of pounds for charities close to her heart.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just about making sure I complete it. Because no one鈥檚 ever done it before I鈥檝e got no basis of comparison for what the routes will be like or what could come along for someone using a normal wheelchair.
鈥淲e know what it鈥檚 like for someone on a bike and someone on a hand bike but that鈥檚 very different to what I鈥檓 using.
鈥淢y normal wheelchair is built for shopping, not sport. I can do around 15kph on it but that鈥檚 pushing it, and I can鈥檛 sustain that day after day going up hills and half up the side of mountains.
鈥淲hereas my hand bike can easily go up to 50kph.
鈥淲ith my conditions, my pain never disappears 鈥 it's always at a high level. But when I鈥檓 doing the events it鈥檚 like the pain isn鈥檛 there, I just don鈥檛 think about it because I鈥檓 so focused on achieving that goal. I don鈥檛 register anything going on around me to be honest.
鈥淚鈥檓 just going to take each day as it comes and concentrate on the bigger picture.鈥
In the build-up to the challenge, Lexi used her local National Cycle Network Routes 34 and 2 to train on. Credit: Lexi Chambers
Advice for those wanting to go further in a standard wheelchair
For people who use a standard wheelchair and would like to try going further distances in it Lexi said the key is to 鈥渟tart off really slowly and gradually build the distance up.鈥
She added:
鈥淭ake a small pootle, don鈥檛 see it as training and enjoy the scenery from A to B 鈥 before you know it you鈥檒l be building strength in your arms and shoulders and you鈥檒l be able to do 5k.
鈥淢ake sure your chair fits you too.
鈥淚f you can, get an attachment for your chair 鈥 I have a track wheel or a free wheel 鈥 they鈥檙e both very similar things that enable you to go over cobbles or off-road without being chunked out your chair.
鈥淭hey are quite expensive but they are invaluable I couldn鈥檛 do anything I do without it. It actually makes you slower but safer - it鈥檚 well worth it.
鈥淵ou can use what you鈥檝e got and you don鈥檛 need to spend 60 grand on a chair which most people simply cannot afford.
鈥淢y journey, despite physical challenges, serves as a testament to overcoming the seemingly impossible.
鈥淎s part of this challenge, I hope to motivate others to surpass their perceived limitations鈥
Lexi is raising money for Exeter Chiefs Women and a charity which provides army veterans with access to sport and other wellbeing resources.
Lexi says people are welcome to join her along the way. .
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