Adventurer Mike Mackenzie is safely back home after completing an extraordinary journey around the world in more than 80 ways, despite severe disabilities.

Mike Mackenzie

He went scuba diving in the Red Sea, navigated a racing car with a partially sighted driver at 140mph around the Malaysian Grand Prix circuit, rode camels and ostriches in Africa and flew in a hot air balloon in America.

Mr Mackenzie, 53, who lives in Piddington, near Bicester, undertook the expedition with two colleagues to inspire other disabled people to believe they could lead positive lives and overcome physical disabilities.

He lost both his legs from the knees and was left paralysed from his mid-chest down after a car crashed into him and two others while walking in Kosovo. Both his companions were killed in the accident. Mr Mackenzie was working as director of operations for the Scottish European Aid charity in Croatia. The idea for the expedition to emulate Phileas Fogg, the hero of Jules Verne's novel Around the World in 80 Days, came from friend Robin Dunseath.

For the expedition, he was accompanied by a blind friend Miles Hilton Barber and partially sighted Caroline Casey.

Mr Mackenzie said: "We visited 15 countries and used around 90 different forms of transport. We raised about £500,000 from speaking engagements. In each country the money went to different charities for the disabled."

Owing to his disabilities, some aspects of the three-month trip were trickier than others.

He said: "As I cannot use my stomach muscles for balance, the most difficult and worst parts of the journey were riding an ostrich and a camel.

"One of the most extraordinary was scuba diving in the Red Sea. We had taken some preliminary training before we left and completed our training out there.

"The challenge was to swim five miles under the sea and we managed 11 miles."

Other methods of transport included a helicopter ride, sailing in a tall ship from Nice to Monte Carlo and riding an elephant in India.

Mr Mackenzie said: "It is important for people who have just suffered from disabilities to hear from someone like myself as well as from the medical specialists.

"It also helps their families to realise that people with disabilities can lead positive lives. The idea of the trip was to encourage people to live their life to the full, whatever their disability."