A Paralympic hopeful has been selected as a finalist in the Pride of Britain Fundraiser of the Year Awards.

Mark Pattenden, a lower limb amputee from Canning Town who was injured in his work as a bodyguard, has been nominated for the London regional title by two recipients of his fundraising after making more than £250,000 for a wide range of charities and causes.

The 54-year-old disability specialist sports coach has climbed to Everest Base Camp for a cancer charity and achieved a world record as the first para athlete to participate in the Great Wall of China marathon.

He did this as part of his ‘pay it forward’ scheme, created initially to raise funds to provide a running blade for a fellow patient at Dorset Orthopaedic, a clinic which provides prosthetic care in Ringwood, Hampshire.

Kelly Jackson, 28, from Birmingham lost her right leg above the knee in a serious car accident in 2013 but is now enjoying an active lifestyle thanks to her new blade.

Mark and Kelly then decided to help by raising £5,000 for a second custom-made blade for aspiring sportswoman and recent amputee, Hannah Moore. The 21-year-old from Stalbridge in Dorset had an elective amputation last summer after suffering from the effects of complex regional pain syndrome.

Mark ran 10km every day for 90 days to raise the funds and in September, Hannah gained her first British title in Paratriathlon and has ambitions for the Tokyo Paralympic Games 2020.

She explained: “I believe Mark deserves this award because he continues to put everyone else before himself and continues to do fantastic work for charities and individuals in need.”

Mark also has Paralympic ambitions of his own. He successfully trialled for the GB archery team earlier this year and is now pursuing his goal of competing in Tokyo.

He said: “I am completely blown away by their nomination; this whole journey has been a rollercoaster ride and I had never imagined that I could be chosen for such a huge honour”.

As one of the four finalists in the region, Mark is set to appear on ITV London at 6pm on Wednesday in a special feature about the awards.

Mark’s latest crowdfunding project to support his Paralympian dreams can be found at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/mark-pattenden-1archerdevelopment