Aoife O’Connell chronicles the adventure in the diary below:

Day 029 > Monday 30 September > The Red Sea - Egypt

It seems each day brings with it a new hurdle. One of the adventurers invariably has to defy something during a typical Eighty Ways day. Today Mike was suffering with his sinuses and it looked as though he wouldn't get to dive. Fierce determination won out in the end and with Dr.Chris' approval off he went down into the great blue.

Mike clocked up another experience today; the team used 'diver propulsion vehicles', which are ideally suited to paralysed people who cannot use fins. They resemble miniature engines and do exactly what it says on the tin - propel divers!

A great dive for Miles again today as they did a 'wreck dive'. A day boat that had sunk a few years ago became Miles' playground! Still as enthusiastic and energised as before, the Eighty Ways team and the Nottingham team have become one great big bunch of buddies. Every evening they all meet up and discuss the day's progress and how to improve and make the diving more exciting for the Eighty Ways team.

I can see by the adventurers that its going to be hard for them to say goodbye to the Red Sea, as well having made plenty of new friends, the actually physicality of the challenges really switch Miles, Mike and Caroline on. It can be hard to go from interview to photo-call to speaking engagement. It really does take it out of a person. The team know South Africa is going to be tough, here they all need to be really positive as they will be meeting quite a number of people including those with spinal injuries. It will inevitably be a gruelling but necessary schedule in order to get the message of Eighty Ways across to people and to do so they need to show how capable they are.

But then again if they could see Miles, Mike and Caroline in the water, they would have no doubts about their capabilities!

Day 030 > Tuesday 01 October > Egypt

Life for the Eighty Ways team is certainly about taking chances and 'having a go'. It also seems to be all about chance meetings. 'The Red Sea five mile adventure dive' would not be taking place if not for a chance meeting between keen scuba diver Darren Brookes and our intrepid adventurer Miles.

In February, Miles who speaks regularly at corporate conferences and events was speaking at a Round Table dinner, of which Darren is a member;

"Miles spoke about circles and how we are all in circles; sometimes we need to step outside our own circle to expand our experiences."

Darren took this wisdom on board and wondered how he could step outside his own circle, so to speak. After his speech, Miles was approached by Darren and the pair got talking about the impending Eighty Ways adventure. Darren mentioned mid conversation that he was a keen scuba diver and wicked grin appeared on Miles face and he said "I would love to try that".

That was all the encouragement Darren needed, who refused to believe a blind man could not scuba dive. He immediately got on the phone to all his scuba buddies and within a few weeks Miles was training for open water diving. Seeing how much Miles enjoyed the diving experience, Darren began making hundreds of phone calls to raise sponsorship for an eighty ways scuba dive. A member of the Round Table organisation that raises for money for charity, Darren was determined he could raise the funds needed.

Mary Munley from Regal Dive came on board immediately and agreed to organise the biggest expense of the trip, sponsor all the sponsor flights and accommodation. Round Table paid for the teams training and their underwater computers. Next on the list was equipment, Tracey and Kelvin at Oceanic offered to supply the team with the diving gear they needed. It was then up to Darren to organise a boat for the team to use for their diving adventure. Following just one email, Terry and Theresa at Emperor Divers pledged their support for the project. Before he knew what he had got himself into - Darren had become Project Manager for the Red Sea Adventure Route. With huge help from Mary Munley and diving instructor Jim Corbally, they managed to organise a sponsored diving adventure to the tune of twenty two thousands pounds.

Darren got so involved in the project; he launched a new charity Dive-able as a "chance for disabled people to experience the underwater world".
There has been something so amazing and breathtaking about the team's experience in the Red Sea that one really does wonder if it is all up to chance or is there something else at work, to bring so many like minded people together.

Day 031 > Wednesday 02 October > The Red Sea - Egypt

For those of you are not Geography buffs, like myself, and are wondering what the Red Sea is all about - I have done a little bit of research on this extraordinary area of outstanding natural beauty.

The Red Sea is a relatively young ocean, and its complex history has encompassed some major environmental upheavals. It has its origin in crustal sagging which occurred nearly 180 years ago, but only became established as a distinct trough in the Oligocene about 38 million years ago.

The present, narrow straits at the southern Red Sea are; Bab el Mandeb, which mean literally "Gate of Lamentations". They are 29m wide and only 130m deep. Somali folklore has a tradition that their ancestors crossed these straits from Arabia on a land bridge. While our present understanding of the time scale when these straits were closed by the Indian Ocean (over 10,000 years ago at least) makes the Somali tradition surprising, it is still the case that it is by far he narrowest and shallowest part of the Red Sea. Historically the Red Sea also served as a trade passage carrying silk, spices, incense and Coffee to Europe. With the emergence of Islam at the beginning of the 6th century, the Red Sea gained steadily in importance. From Mecca, the new religion spread Westward and Northward over this body of water. Millions of pilgrims crossed the Red Sea on their way to the holy city of Mecca. Even today the crew on our ship; Empress Amy, change the direction of the boat to point to Mecca. The Muslim call to prayer can be heard across the ocean as divers disappear under the azure water.

The Red Sea is the nearest tropical sea to Europe, its faunistic research really got underway during the 18th century. Landlocked and bordered by countries like Egypt, Sudan, Israel and Saudi Arabia, the red sea has numerous fish, crustaceans, and invertebrates which exclusively live in this sea. There are approximately over 400 varieties of coral and 1500 fish species. Divers can see these species of fish, crayfish, molluscs and other invertebrates amongst the habitats like sea grass beds, sand zones and especially the fringing coral reefs. I have had my first diving experience in the Red Sea and can tell you the colour and vibrancy of the underwater life is like nothing you can imagine!
Very often the endemic Red Sea forms are closely related counterparts of Indian Ocean species. In general the percentage of endemic species and subspecies are approximately 30% but in some fish families this rate is significantly higher. From the 14 butterfly fish of the Red Sea 50% are endemic.

But why is called the Red Sea? Listen up children; the name is derived from a phenomenon that still occurs today, namely the recurring explosive growth of blue algae known as Trichodesmium erythraeum - What? Basically the chlorophyll of the blue algae is actually covered over by red dish-orange pigments, which make the water appear red rather than the expected blue-green.

The 1970's saw the tourist boom really kick off. Scuba divers from all parts of Europe began to arrive regularly especially when word got around how fantastic the coral reefs were. The first live aboard boats arrived in the early 1980's enabling people to spend a week on board a boat diving. The Red Sea being an ideal place to learn how to dive as it only a five hour flight from the UK.

Geography lesson over! More information soon on how to actually get diving in the Red Sea!

Day 032 > Thursday 03 October > The Red Sea - Egypt

The last dive. As per usual there was the same camaraderie and banter aboard the boat but you could feel everyone winding down. It seemed the sun lounge up top was full with snoozing divers, or perhaps everyone was just reflecting on an extraordinary week. Everyone chatted excitedly about the different marine life they had encountered on the week's various dives. The crew laid on a special lunch, and for a change the fridge was stocked with beer. The end was nigh, and we all knew it. Who could blame us for needing a few Sakara Gold's to ease the pain.

In many ways the Red Sea Diving adventure leg was like the beginning of Eighty Ways all over again. As soon as we met the Dive team, everyone clicked instantly. Aboard our boat was diving instructor Jim Corbally a.k.a Jim Cor Blimey, dive master - Darren S Brookes, creative director, which is what underwater camera man, Jon Blackwell likes to call himself, Mark Evans from magazine Sport Dive, Mary Munley from sponsors Regal Dive, team doc, Chris Carlton, on board dive instructor Stella and our rather great Nottingham divers, Niall and Sally.

Every body on board looked out for each other. Always ready with a joke or a sarcastic comment, the boys had us all in stitches. It was so refreshing to see the team laughing and enjoying the challenge. I could feel the instant trust and goodwill amongst all on board. Amazing to think that these people had put in so much of their time, money and effort to create this underwater odyssey. Darren, project manager, has been planning this event for the last year, and with help from Mary Munley managed to co-ordinate a fantastic dive team. It is unlikely Eighty Ways could have managed and organised this event without the help and support of all concerned. For instance, should Jon the camera man suddenly decide to bill Eighty Ways, it would probably be somewhere in the region of £12,500.

Having only met the team a couple of times, it's quite startling that these individuals have spent months planning, training, organising and co-ordinating. More incredible is that they spent their week in the Red Sea helping others dive. Whether it be picking up sea cucumbers for Miles or getting a wheelchair down to the sea bed for photographs or helping Mike kit up, at the end of the project they were able to say that the time spent in the Red Sea was one of the most memorable and enjoyable weeks of their lives.

It was only right that the Last Dive should be followed by the Last Supper. Of course the last supper turned into the last night meets the next morning as everyone tried to prolong the inevitable. Our week in the Red Sea has been an amazing power surge. An Eighty Ways energy restock. Not because we have been sleeping for the recommended eight hours a day, or because we have been laying by the pool but because of the energy of the people around us. People who believe in the team are the energy resources the adventurers need to get through the next challenge. The enthusiasm and get-up-and-go of the Nottingham gang refilled the team fuel tank.

I imagine that if times are hard over the next two months, the team will remember how much they accomplished in the Red Sea. The 11.5 mile dive will serve to remind the team how capable and able they truly are. New friends made will hopefully be at the end of the phone to take us back to the incredible achievement and experience that was the Red Sea. We only wish they could come with us.

Day 033 > Friday 04 October > Leaving The Red Sea

Airports must be some of the worst places on earth. Stressful and busy at the best of times, but when you are in a wheelchair or have no sight, you can multiple the strain of that experience by one hundred percent.

The taxi is the first hassle of the day. Authentic Egyptian taxi's are not the most luxurious of vehicles, like something from Austin Powers meets the Sahara Desert, these broken down rattling vehicles covered in Egyptian fabrics usually come with about three 'helpers'. Someone to open the door, a person to carry the bags and someone to drive! I think it's more a tip-based system than an actual logistics thing.

Arriving at the airport in one of these taxis is an experience. Immediately two or three more 'helpers' arrive to try and hoist your bags on to their trolleys, and can't understand why the team would possibly want to try and handle the baggage by themselves. It can be quite hard to explain to a trolley man in Egypt that its all part of the Eighty Ways challenge!

Pizza is another strange phenomenon often found at airports. Why is it the only food available at airports is rubbish coffee and luke-warm pizza. Fair dues to the Italians they came up with some tasty food but I think the pizza thing is overdone. The team lived on pizza in Italy and ever since then it seems to be the order of the day!

Of course trying to acquire five pizza slices in an Egyptian airport was as difficult as Mike trying to explain he could wheel his own wheel chair! Caroline used her feminine wiles to convince the airport attendant to allow us out of the departure gate to grab some food. But buying the pizza turned out to be quite a hassle too, as the chef tried to convince us that he would give us a special deal if we bought more than the required five slices. Trying to explain that five slices would suffice was really not happening and in the end we just gave in and took the 'special deal' - which was the most expensive 'special deal' I have come across!

The complications didn't end there as Mike tried to lose the attendant trying to push his wheelchair. At pains to explain his hands were working properly, Mike demonstrated his wheelchair mobility but our Egyptian friend was having none of it. The whole team was in a fluster trying to find departure gates and sort tickets and the wheelchair pusher was really not helping, he could not seem to detach himself from the wheelchair. In the end the whole team turned around and yelled at him to get lost, another tip-chaser put in his place! No doubt the team will meet plenty more of his type on their travels!

Day 034 > Saturday 05 October > Cairo again!

Technology is not a team player. Technology is the self opinionated, narcissistic footballer who is difficult to elude and impossible to handle. Hence, when Miles' laptop was playing up on Saturday, the only thing for it was to handle it carefully, massage its ego, and inevitably buy it expensive toys.

Early Saturday morning saw Jon and Miles leave the hotel in search of the Ferrari of modems to pacify Miles' pouting laptop. All footballers must have a doting caring partner to take care of their every need and make them feel better about themselves. Miles fulfils the brief wonderfully and dotes on his self absorbed black box like it was the most important goal scorer of the World Cup.

Miles is always happy and content when he can be 'plugged in' somewhere. For Miles happiness is an internet point and a power socket. It is his way of keeping in touch with a very full life back in England. Although his timing can be a little off, and can sometimes irritate the team, Miles is at pains to remind everyone that he does in fact have a career at RNIB in England and taking three months off to trudge around the world can get in the way of this.

By Saturday afternoon however, the new modem was safely ensconced in its salubrious shiny black home and it was time to get plugged in. After a five day sojourn, eighty six work related emails were waiting patiently for Miles to test drive his newest gizmo.

Like football, technology can be a difficult game at the best of times. The ultimate aim is to score goals but sometimes the skills fall short. The ultimate aim for Miles is to stay in touch with as many people as possible, simultaneously organising his speaking engagements for his return. Sometimes the skills fall short and Miles can't get on to the internet to confirm speaking engagements.

The striker that doesn't score goals is not much use to a team. Likewise the motivational speaker who doesn't speak is not much use to his organisation. Do we leave the striker on the side-lines and ask him to be patient and ensure him his skill will return? Or do we change the circumstances that caused the slump? Luckily the Eighty Ways team are team-players, when one of their best strikers isn't scoring goals, they don't leave the player on the side lines instead they find a solution, so the striker can get back on to the playing field.

Miles is very fond of saying "we cannot change our circumstances but we can change our response to them". We cannot change the nature of the playing field, it is uneven and unknown territory, but we can try and adapt to it. We can't change the fact that sometimes our high fangled machines will not operate properly on a boat in the middle of the Red Sea or let us down on a train in South Africa, but we can try new responses to the problem. Like the football manager trying to inspire the beaten striker to get out on the pitch again, the Eighty Ways team are constantly trying to get back out and score goals despite the uneven ground.

With one third of the adventure put to bed the challenge is still immense but I think the team are getting there, and everyday they are learning new skills which place them a little higher on the leader board.

*By the way I'm not a footie fan, by any stretch of the imagination!

Day 035 > Sunday 06 October > South Africa

Welcome to South Africa, home of Nelson, biltong, Castle beer, and to the Eighty Ways team for the next seven days. After some of the most uncomfortable and tiring airplane travel, the team finally made it to George in South Africa. On Friday they left Hurghada in the Red Sea, overnighted in Cairo, Saturday saw them depart to Dubai, on to Johannesburg and finally to George. They probably spent about twenty two hours in a plane, so by the time they arrived in Knysna South Africa, the smiles were drooping slightly at the corners.

After a two hour break, to sort bags, make phone calls and to taste the local beer, the team were back on the speaking circuit. An Italian restaurant was the chosen venue, so no prizes for guessing the dinner menu, our old friend pizza! The local Rotary Club listened with interest as the team spoke about their reasons for undertaking the challenge and the aim of Eighty Ways.

As they were speaking, I couldn't get the images from the various airplanes and airports out of my head. Did these nice South Africans munching their pizza have any idea how much the team had been through since Friday, and how lucky they were that the adventurers had actually made it to Knysna. Attitudes to disability get old real fast, and if it's one thing the team have learned from travelling, it's don't bet on airports to be disability friendly or their staff to be trained and forward thinking.

It never ceases to amaze me how many people address Jon or Caroline, when they wish to know something about Mike. Airport staff rarely address Mike directly, as if he hasn't a brain in his head and can't speak for himself. In other cases they peer down at him instead of kneeling or bending down and establishing eye contact. On planes, air-craft crew can be some of the worst offenders. I often sit next to Miles and they direct all questions to me; "would the gentleman like a drink?", I mean how should I know, I don't monitor his thirst gauge, the man is typing away on his laptop, methinks he has enough intelligence to answer the question himself!

In Dubai airport, the team was made feel like a danger to society! Apparently we were public enemy number one, and each of us had an escort to "cripple corner" as Mike termed the 'disability lounge'. The disability lounge turned out to be a bit of an old folk's home, with no bar which displeased Mike greatly. Why do people always see disabled people as weak and feeble? Dependent and decrepit. Being in a wheelchair does not affect you being suave or your ability to attract scores of women, as Mr. McKenzie consistently proves. The disability lounge in the airport was tucked away from all the shops. Does being in a wheelchair affect your desire to buy yourself nice things? Of course, silly me, I forgot, disabled people couldn't possibly be fashionable, after all they are too busy being frail and dependent!