Former Royal Marine Lee Spencer has been forced to abandon a swim at the start of an attempt on a new triathlon event which involves, swimming the English Channel, cycling the length of the country and stopping en-route to climb the highest peaks of the UK, something never attempted before.

The adventurous veteran amputee who lost his leg in a car accident while trying to rescue another car crash victim is renowned for pushing himself to the limits on endurance events in aid of the Royal Marines Charity to generate positive perceptions of disabled people.

Known as the Rowing Marine for becoming the first disabled person to row from Europe to South America solo and unsupported and for being part of the world’s first physically disabled of crew of 4 to row an ocean, he said conditions in the English Channel last Tuesday were too rough to complete after six hours in the water.

Lee, from Horrabridge and a Royal Marine for 24 years, said he was ‘devastated’ at having to be helped out of the water by his support team for ‘safety reasons’ on the first part of the historic triathlon which has been devised by Lee as the ultimate challenge - the British Ultra-Triathlon.

However, he vowed to continue and was due to today to get into the bike saddle for his 1,036 mile ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats. He aims to complete the next two stages with little recovery time in between within a mere two weeks - by Tuesday August 9

He tweeted: ‘Some things are not meant to be and today I wasn’t meant to cross the English Channel. Due to tide and sea conditions that were out of my ability range, I was struggling to maintain forward momentum. I only managed less than half a mile in the third hour.’

Lee Spencer BEM, whose motto is ‘dare to dream and if you don’t fail, you’re not dreaming big enough’, believes that no-one should be defined by their disability.

His mission is to redefine perceptions, challenge stigma, drive change and ensure everyone has an opportunity to lead a life with dignity. His disabled team ocean crossing broke the able-bodied record by an astonishing 36 days and his solo row also broke the record for the longest solo and unsupported ocean row by a physically disabled person.

Lee, who takes part in organised walking football in Horrabridge and inspires village children with his adventures and attitude, came unscathed through three operational tours of Afghanistan. However, he then lost his right leg when he was hit by debris as he was helping a motorist who had crashed on a motorway. Although his right leg was severed, his military training kicked in and he explained to bystanders how to save his life.

Since discharge from the Royal Marines, Lee has become a motivational speaker. He said: ‘I don’t believe anyone should be defined by something they can’t do or their limitations, especially anyone with a disability. I feel passionately about challenging this stigma and proving no one should be defined by disability.’