Double-amputee veteran who was blown up in Afghanistan climbed Mount Snowdon on his prosthetic limbs

An incredible double-amputee veteran who was blown up in Afghanistan has climbed Mount Snowdon on his prosthetic limbs.Show more

Liam King, 33, lost both his legs when he stepped on an IED in 2011 while serving in the 2nd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment.

Now, he's climbed the highest mountain in Wales in a remarkable act of defiance despite his physical injuries.

Liam, who lost one leg at the knee and the other below the hip, said: "I wanted to prove to myself that I can do it.

"Life isn't over just because you've got a serious injury.

"Up until recently I struggled mentally with my injuries. I'm hungry for life now."

Liam, from Ipswich, Suffolk, climbed the mountain last Friday with fellow veteran Luke Read, who also served in the 2nd Battalion.

The pair took seven hours to reach Snowdon's summit as they opted to take the shorter but more rugged seven-mile Pyg track before coming down Llanberis Path.

They faced snow, rain and wind as they completed the gruelling climb, which totalled twelve hours and 16 miles of "constant" walking.

At times, Liam was using his hands for support as he climbed on his shortened prosthetic limbs.

Liam said: "We started the walk around 8am and from the get-go we had the worst possible weather.

"It was chucking it down the whole way. The first part of the ascent wasn't too bad but the second part was hell to be honest."

Liam credited Airborne Fit - a gym run by fellow veteran Luke - with his ability to do the climb after struggling with his mental health.

He said: "We decided to do the challenge in mid-February. It was all down to the gym in terms of getting me ready for it.

"Since 2011 I've had a lot of ups and downs but I've found myself in a really good headspace since joining Airborne Fit."

Liam joined the military in 2009 and was blown up by an IED in Afghanistan two years later.

He left the forces in 2013 and now works as a landlord while living with girlfriend Steph and nine-year-old son Oscar.

Luke, 33, who climbed with Liam, said: "It's inspirational that he's done it.

"He was on his hands pretty much most of the time.

"It's a big old challenge for him to get up there. It was cold and raining the whole time. We had snow and sleet at the top.

"There was no stopping for lunchboxes - it was constant."