Paralympic medal winner John Harris will be the next speaker at City of Newport Business Club when he will talk about his athletic career and recent ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro for charity.

John Harris, 68, from Sebastopol, has had a highly successful career as a field athlete competing in five Paralympic Games. His highlights were winning gold in the discus in the 1984 Games, and claiming silver in the discus and bronze in the pentathlon at the Seoul Games in 1988.

His charity fundraising achievements include money raising activities for the Wales Sports Centre for the disabled. He was very close friends with Chris Hallam who, together, achieved some amazing fundraising sporting achievements.

Now 50 years after being paralysed at the age of 18 after falling 18 metres from a fairground ride, he has recently completed a gruelling ascent of the Marangu route of Mount Kilimanjaro in an off-road wheelchair. John was as part of a four-man team raising funds for the charity Dreams and Wishes, which provides gifts and holidays for seriously ill children and their families.

Newport-based accountant Gary Parker, who was team leader for the ascent, said: “John reached Gillmans Point on the Crater Rim, 250 metres from the ‘Summit’, which as far as I am concerned is the ‘top’ so well done John a remarkable achievement.”

John's talk is on Thursday November 14 at The Holiday Inn, The Coldra, Newport starting at 5.30pm.

For more information visit www.newportbusinessclub.co.uk.