Tom Powell
A PAIR of daring best friends from America will be the first to make the famous Camino de Santiago pilgrimage from France to Spain by wheelchair.
The 500-mile journey to the shrine of St. James the Apostle in Galicia – crossing through the mountainous Pyrenees and the Basque region – is tough enough on foot. Patrick Grey will be pushing his disabled pal, Justin Skeesuck, all the way in a non-motorised wheelchair.
The two 38-year-olds have been buddies since birth, through their parents’ friendship. So, when Skeesuck mentioned that he wanted to make the journey, Grey instantly agreed. He will be at his mate’s side day and night, helping him at meals and during ‘comfort stops’.
Skeesuck has Multifocal Acquired Motor Axonopathy (MAMA), a rare autoimmune disease that causes muscles to stop functioning and has left him wheelchair-bound since his mid-20s.
The Idaho native has dedicated his life to helping others with disabilities travel the world through his blog, The Disabled Traveler.
