Nature-loving disabled woman 'literally padlocked out' of favourite landscapes

Nature-loving disabled woman 'literally padlocked out' of favourite landscapes9 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleNatalie GriceBBC WalesBethany HandleyBethany Handley grew up in nature but struggles to enjoy it in the same way now after illness left her unable to walkBethany Handley practically lived outdoors from the time she could toddle. Growing up in rural Monmouthshire, she regularly got covered in mud and played for hours in the woods with her younger brother, damming rivers and making dens."All my early memories are of being a bit feral."The family were keen hikers, climbing mountains like Sugarloaf and the Skirrid, trips to the beach led to bodyboarding and later surfing, while closer to home they kayaked down the River Wye.But it was not to stay that way.Years of worsening health led to declining mobility and, three years ago, Bethany lost the use of her legs completely.While she has dedicated herself to reclaiming the natural world for all people who feel shut out from it, she said: "I think it was more disabling than my medical conditions coming home and realising that I was literally padlocked out of all my favourite landscapes."Bethany HandleyBethany in her all-terrain trike at Sker Beach, Porthcawl. Some of her earliest memories were of being on a beachBethany, 26, was born with a visual impairment that made taking part in ball sports and anything needing depth perception difficult in school.Her active lifestyle at home helped overcome the feeling of not being sporty, despite always being "clumsy"."All in all, an idyllic childhood in nature."At the start of her GCSEs she developed glandular fever and "didn't really recover".From there, she had more diagnoses, including endometriosis when she was 16.Fatigue meant losing strength in her legs and she developed a condition that caused frequent fainting, while the underlying cause remained a mystery.Despite this, she continued her co...