Inspirational Motivational of the Day

Barry West was paralyzed from the chest down -- which means he lost the use of his arms and legs -- in a car crash in 1996. He was struggling to adapt to his new life in a wheelchair when he ran into a paralyzed pal who said something that got him thinking.

"He told me that he had just done a skydive. I was gobsmacked."

Since that fateful encounter, West, 35, has taken up paragliding, scuba diving, skydiving, ­mountaineering, kayaking, and skiing (don't miss the pics), and he plans to scale Africa's highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro, next year. And, of course, he will be an Olympic torchbearer in July as the torch makes its way to London. What's next? West wants to ride a horse: "I don't mean just sitting on it, but riding it properly around a paddock without anyone holding the reins." [arbroath]