To mark this achievement Dave and Chris planted a Wheelchair Access Parking sign on the North Pole along with a United Nations, Canadian and Ontario flag.

David upon reaching the pole stated, “This sign represents all people who have face challenges or adversity in their lives and have dreamed of overcoming them. If we as people, work together in our homes, our cities, our countries and in our global village, there is no dream that cannot be realized.”

In order to cross the ice, Team Independence had designed a sled that allowed Shannon’s wheelchair to be fastened in place. Shannon then self-propelled with adapted walking sticks with Watkins ahead pulling on a tether. The two men spent the last two years devising equipment suitable for the journey, training along the snowy trails in their hometown of Thunder Bay.

Since the age of 18, as a result of an injury during a rugby team practice, David has had no movement from the neck down. Therefore, for this arduous trip, winter protection was crucial – without feeling in his lower body, frostbite and infection were a constant threat.

David and Chris have returned exhausted and with some minor injuries. They are recovering in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway with their Teammate Darren Lillington. They will return to Canada in a few days.

For more information and to congratulate the team, visit www.teamindependence.ca.