A man who was paralysed in a snowboarding accident has inspired a friend to complete one of the world's most gruelling races.

Tom Nabarro, 23, from Standlake, fractured his verterbrae while performing tricks on a visit to Bulgaria to see his girlfriend earlier this year.

He has been paralysed from the shoulders down since the accident and doctors believe his condition is permanent.

But Mr Nabarro's refusal to bow down to his condition inspired snowboarding pal Rob Holden to complete the Tour du Mont Blanc run - covering 158km, 71 glaciers and 400 summits in less than 35 hours.

Mr Holden, 42, raised nearly £20,000 through sponsorship - which will now go towards a specially adapted pavilion where Mr Nabarro will be able to work, near his grandfather's home in Standlake.

Mr Nabarro, a former footballer with Summertown Stars and pupil at The Cherwell School, Oxford, was an avid snowboarder with more than 12 years' experience when he had the accident on April 3.

He said: "I cannot remember anything about the day of the accident but apparently I was snowboarding with members of the Bulgarian national snowboarding team.

"I think I was trying some tricks on the snowboard park and I slipped and landed on my head. Basically it severed communication with my spinal cord."

Mr Nabarro was transferred from Sofia, Bulgaria, soon after the accident to the National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, near Aylesbury, where he has been treated ever since.

He hopes to be able to move to the pavilion building - which will double as a facility for local musicians - in six months' time, but needs to raise £200,000 first.

Donations for Mr Holden's Ultra Tour For Tom' fund will set the ball rolling - with half going towards the pavilion and the rest to spinal injury charity the Back Up Trust.

Mr Nabarro said: "I think we are a long way off but we have done a great deal so far.

"What Rob has done is amazing. I enjoy challenges, but he has done something which is such an amazing achievement."

Mr Nabarro's next step is to recover from a major operation which will keep his neck permanently in place.

He is currently in a neck brace and he said: "It is a bit of a challenge to deal with the immovability.

"I am going to try to rebuild the muscles in my neck and shoulders and then try to get some movement back into my arms.

"You try to be as positive as possible because being negative does not help.

"I do have moments when I am down but I have dealt with them through support from my family and girlfriend."

Mr Holden, from Lancashire, had been snowboarding with Tom a few times before the accident, having worked with his father, David Nabarro, in London.

He completed the gruelling race in 35 hours and 17 minutes after setting off last Friday from Chamonix, France.

Mr Holden said: "The race captures people's imagination when you say you are going to run four marathons back to back and climb the equivalent of Everest.

"When people see Tom or read his blog they see someone who is not wallowing in self pity. He is thinking about the future when most of us would give up."

Tom's blog is at www.tomnabarro.com