The Blesma Awards: The Hambro Award

The Hambro Award for 2019 was jointly awarded to Lee Spencer and Martin Hewitt.

This award recognises high achievers in any field having displayed exceptional commitment
and dedication. It was established in memory of Blesma Member Major J O Hambro MC, a former Chairman and Treasurer of Blesma who served with the Coldstream Guards and lost
a leg in Normandy in 1944.

2019 was a headline year for former Royal Marine Staff Sergeant Lee and Parachute  Regiment Captain Martin, as both tackled individual mammoth challenges that would not just celebrate personal achievement, but also inspire anyone with a disability.

Lee kicked off the year by attempting his solo row across the Atlantic, breaking three world records in the process. He became the first physically disabled person to row from mainland Europe to mainland South America, completed the longest ocean row by a physically  disabled person, and beat the existing record by 36 days.

Prior to 2014, Lee had no experience in rowing. Now, he has four Guinness World Records.

Four months later, Martin battled 125mph winds and -68°C temperatures to scale Mount
Everest. He had launched a scheme to make it possible for disabled climbers to achieve the
Adaptive Grand Slam that includes climbing the highest peak in each of the continents and reaching both the North and South Pole. Martin is the first person to fly a Blesma flag from the summit of the world’s highest peak.

Through grit and strong will to succeed, Lee and Martin have cleared pathways for others and achieved incredible feats. Many veterans struggling to come to terms with their disabilities have been encouraged by their example to overcome adversity and achieve
things they may never have thought possible.

Lee and Martin are jointly awarded the Hambro Award in recognition of their groundbreaking and unique achievements