Death-defying cyclist Rob Hughes is gearing up for his ultimate challenge in Costa Rica after suffering extensive injuries in a near-fatal accident in 1997.

The former Sir Thomas Picton pupil, originally from Johnston, was forced to quit work in the building industry and retrain in business IT after coming off his bike while out training for the annual Pembrokeshire triathlon.

Due to the sheer speed at which Rob was travelling, he suffered severe lacerations to the head, a fractured skull, broken teeth and neck injuries as well as knee ligaments damage.

Since then Rob has made a slow but steady recovery. He has managed to rebuild his life and is now working as an IT specialist for Siemens in Cardiff. But his hair-raising experiences have not deterred him from pushing towards his next challenge.

After ten years of recovery from acute migraines, amnesia, dental and lower back pain, Rob, aged 32, is now back in training for a challenge to take place in March.

He will be hiking, biking, rafting and kayaking in a 250-kilometre race, coast to coast in Costa Rica; all in one week.

Rob is racing in aid of the Prince's Trust charity whose outdoor pursuits instructor course helped restore Rob's confidence in himself and his physical ability.

He said: "I had first-hand experience of the ways in which the Prince's Trust can change young people's lives, so I saw this challenge as an opportunity to help what I believe is a fantastic cause.

"I'll need to be very well prepared physically. I need to train across all disciplines for hiking uphill, cycling and kayaking and I'll need a good overall stamina to cope with the heat!"

Rob needs to raise a minimum of £3,000 in order to participate in the event. To sponsor him on his secure website, log on to www.justgiving.com/robhughes1