British wheelchair user named "Ultimate Fearless Female" by magazine

From Highland News in the UK:

A glossy magazine's competition to recognise the achievements of Britain's most remarkable ladies has honoured an Inverness woman.

Karen Darke, 38, (pictured) has been confined to a wheelchair for 16 years after she was left paralysed from the chest down following a cliff-climbing accident in Cove, near Aberdeen.

Despite her disability Karen has become an inspiration to others as she pursued her passion for outdoor pursuits.

At a glitzy ceremony in London last week she was presented with Cosmopolitan magazine's "Ultimate Fearless Female" award at their Ultimate Women of the Year Awards.

The evening was a star-studded affair with guests from the worlds of TV, music, radio and sport and Karen received her award from Cosmopolitan's 2006 Woman of the Year Karen Brady (pictured).

Karen fell 30 feet while cliff-climbing at the age of 21 and severed her spinal cord, broke her arms and fractured her neck and skull.

But within six weeks she completed the Great North Run in a racing wheelchair and has never stopped since with endurance adventures including kayaking on the Canadian and Alaskan coast, hand-biking across the Tien Shan and Karakoram mountains of central Asia and the Indian Himalayas.

Her next ambition is to become the first woman to sit-ski across Antarctica to the South Pole.

Cosmopolitan's editor, Louise Court commented: "Karen is an inspiration to us all and her achievements are phenomenal. This year's awards have once again opened our eyes to many extraordinary and inspirational women.

"It's an honour to be able to meet people like Karen and celebrate their achievements, from those who have overcome adversity to those who have made a significant impact on other people's lives. All of our winners embody the 'Fun and Fearless' spirit of the magazine."

Today, Karen, of Culduthel Road, Inverness, travels the country giving talks as part of her business, Inspire and Impact. She hopes to raise £1 million for charity on her epic adventure in the Antarctic.