Two disabled former soldiers have told how a journalist’s comment about fitness inspired them to take on one of the world’s toughest trekking challenges.

Rich Potter, 40, and Rich Davies, 37, who both live in Norfolk, are preparing for the Snowman Trek in Bhutan to raise money for charity and set a record.

Both had to suffer lower leg amputations after accidents and both won gold medals in Invictus Games in Düsseldorf, Germany, in 2023.

Mr Potter, a former army captain, said a reporter at the Games told him he was “in very good shape for a guy with one leg” and that gave him the idea of ​​a Himalayan expedition.

The two men will leave for Bhutan in early October and have set themselves the goal of being the “first and fastest amputees” to complete the trek.

They told BBC Radio Norfolk that they planned to complete the 220-mile (370-kilometer) trek in 35 days.

Mr Potter and Mr Davies, a former RAF corporal, are raising money for the Royal British Legion And Blesma – a charity that supports limbless veterans.

They said the trek would take them over 11 mountain passes and at altitudes of over 5,000 m.

Both said they were aware of the irony of living in Norfolk – one of the flattest counties in England.

“After the Invictus Games, a reporter interviewed me and he said I was in very good shape for a guy with one leg,” said Mr Potter Chris Goreham from BBC Radio Norfolk.

“It made me realise that there is a really strange attitude towards disabled people in this country.

“We are almost divided into two groups: the Paralympic athletes and everyone else.”

He added: “The reality couldn’t be further from the truth.

“So we want to show what normal, disabled people can achieve and hopefully inspire other disabled people to take on their own challenges.”

The Snowman Trek

• Widely considered one of the most difficult treks in the world, the trek is attempted by only a handful of people each year through Lunana, Bhutan’s most remote region. BBC travel articles

• Of the few who make their way to the high mountain passes, less than half make it to their destination due to altitude sickness or heavy snowfall.

• Starting from Drukgyel Dzong and ending in Sephu, the trek crosses 11 passes with an elevation of more than 4,500 m and follows trails through yak herder settlements and remote farms against the stunning backdrop of the Himalayan peaks.

• The window of opportunity for this high-altitude adventure is extremely small – the short season in which the trails are likely (but not guaranteed) to be open runs from late September to mid-October.

Neither man competed in long-distance events at the Invictus Games.

Mr Potter won medals in sprinting – Mr Davies won medals in swimming.

They said they had been training in gyms and at Pen y Fan in the Brecon Beacons.

The two men will be accompanied by guides and pack animals will transport food and equipment.

They said the weather could be the biggest obstacle.

Mr Davies lost a leg three years ago when he was hit by a vehicle while serving in the RAF.

Mr Potter lost a leg in 2019 due to complications from a sports injury.