Scottish quadruple amputee set for 26-mile Inca Trail bucket list challenge

Cor Hutton was given a 5% chance of survival when she developed a life-threatening bout of sepsis in 2013, stemming from an everyday cough.

The 54-year-old mother, from Renfrewshire, survived the illness, but doctors were forced to amputate both hands and her legs below the knee. Since her recovery, Ms Hutton has set up and run the award-winning Finding Your Feet amputee charity and has completed a number of fundraising challenges, including becoming the first female quadruple amputee to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. For more information about her latest challenge, visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/cor-machu-picchu-trek.

She now has her sights set on the Inca Trail in the Peruvian Andes, which she hopes will prove what amputees are capable of achieving.

Dr Cor Hutton training near her home in Lochwinnoch ahead of travelling to Peru for a charity walk to conquer the 7-day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu (Pic: Jane Barlow/PA Wire)

She said: "Machu Picchu was on my bucket list before my hands and legs were amputated, so now it's not only a goal but a chance to prove that me and people like me can conquer what they set out to. Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in 2019 was a reality check. Having two prosthetic legs doesn't only affect balance, but I'll have painful blisters and bruises a couple of days in. I had a part of my lung removed years ago after the sepsis, so I'm not looking forward to the altitude again, but we have an amazing team and great guides."

Her four-day trek includes three summits and altitudes of up to 4,200m above sea level.

"I'm under no illusions that this will be one of the toughest challenges I've taken on in years," Ms Hutton said. "I'm looking forward to testing out my new hands on a proper trek, and always carry my donor's memory with me on these adventures. Our amputee charity has been going for 10 years now, so it only felt right to mark the occasion with something huge like this. If I can raise money and awareness on the way then it will all be worth it."

After a day of travelling and acclimatising, Ms Hutton and a team of fundraisers are due to begin the trek, which ends in the ruined Incan city of Machu Picchu, later this month.

The expedition is the latest in series of challenges Ms Hutton has taken on, including the London Triathlon, the North Coast 500, plus she became the first female quadruple amputee to climb Ben Nevis, the UK's highest mountain. The recipient of three honorary doctorates, Ms Hutton has campaigned to raise awareness of sepsis with the Scottish Government, and she was made an MBE for her charitable work last year.