A man who pushed himself 286 miles from Washington DC to New York and completed the London marathon in a wheelchair is in Malta to raise funds for charity.

Swasie Turner, who is “over 60”, has wheeled himself more than 38,000 miles and raised over £1 million since he set off in 1997 when he lost his childhood sweetheart, wife and “total inspiration”, Marjorie, to cancer.

The traumatic loss came months after he was confined to a wheelchair when he was “deliberately run down” by a motorcycle while on duty as a police officer.

“I went, overnight, from a 100 per cent able-bodied person to what you see now. Shortly afterwards, a couple of months later, I tragically lost my wife to cancer.

“I almost threw the towel in but I was so angry at the loss that I decided to do the most eccentric thing I could think of to raise funds to fight cancer and I haven’t stopped pushing myself around since then,” Mr Turner, who now raises money for different charities, told this newspaper.

Swasie Turner is pushing himself around Malta. Photos: Mark Zammit Cordina

Mr Turner was knighted with an MBE in 2005 and also earned the right to wear the coveted Green Beret of the Royal Marines, of which he is “equally proud”. His journey took him from the White House in Washington DC to Ground Zero in New York, just six weeks after the 9/11 terrorist attack. It took him about a week, stopping only overnight to sleep, to reach the spot where the atrocity occurred.

He has also been, among others, up the Rock of Gibraltar and to Ascension Island, and he is now pushing himself around Malta and Gozo on his NHS wheelchair weighing some 21kg, to raise funds for Dar il-Kaptan and the Royal Marines Association.

Mr Turner started off with 25 miles in Gozo on Saturday and the donations have already started rolling in.

If you do not bump into Mr Turner and pop your donation into his collection box, you can contribute on https://www.justgiving.com/Barry-Phillips4 .

Otherwise, do stop for a chat and accompany him on part of his journey.

Today, Mr Turner should be abseiling in Valletta and later on in the evening, at 7pm he will be giving a motivational talk about beating adversity, at the Marsa Sports Club. Those interested can call Ken Lake on 7930 1038.

More information about Mr Turner on www.swasieturner.org.

Wise words

• Always treat people as you want to be treated

• Remember there is somebody worse off than yourself

• Don’t give in: A winner never quits and a quitter never wins.