An inspirational wheelchair adventurer from Lancaster has received the MBE from Princess Anne in a special ceremony at Windsor Castle.
Shaun Gash was awarded the honour by King Charles III for services to charity and disabled people in the New Year Honours List.
Last week, Shaun was presented with his honour in a special ceremony, accompanied by his wife Dawn, mum Val and son Kyle.
After receiving the honour, Shaun said: ‘’I am honoured to have received my MBE from HRH Princess Anne in recognition of Services to Charity and Disabled People.
‘’I never thought my journey and challenges would inspire and raise so much for numerous charities. For everyone who has been with me I couldn’t have achieved this without you as well!
‘’When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
‘’And the challenges continue!’’
Shaun has used a wheelchair for more than 34 years, ever since he was paralysed from his chest down following a car accident when he was 20.
Seven years ago, he also lost his leg while climbing Ben Nevis mountain in Scotland.
But Shaun has been determined to show other people that any obstacle can be overcome, taking on some of the world's toughest challenges to raise thousands for charities.
"Life's too short," said Shaun, in an interview with Beyond Radio last year.
"I think we're all governed by having things handed to us on a plate, and I wanted to push myself and push my boundaries every single day when I wake up.
"I am thankful that I'm here. They gave me two days to live after my accident. If I can push myself and strive to do a challenge as well as support not just UK charities but local communities wherever I go, then why not?
"I want to get to an age where I can look back and say, I did that, rather than look back and say, I wish I did that."
His successful challenges included sky diving and scuba diving, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and travelling in his chair from Land's End to John O'Groats.
This year Shaun set two new world records - including being the first paraplegic amputee to canoe the Zambezi river.
He and two other wheelchair users were part of a team who successfully canoed 280km from Chirundu in Zambia to the Mozambique border.
Along the way they encountered elephants, hippos, crocodiles and lions, and had to deal with flat tyres and capsized canoes, but achieved their goal after seven days.
They raised money for Spinal Research and Whizz Kidz, the UK's leading charity for young wheelchair users.
Along the way, Shaun, his wife Dawn and the team helped the local Zambian community by delivering supplies to a school and medical centre.
Two weeks before going to Zambia, Shaun achieved another world record in Egypt.
He and his friend Mohammed Salim Patel, a blind BBC journalist from Blackburn, became the first paraplegic and visually impaired person to dive 40m and be underwater for 60 minutes.
They had trained with Morecambe Area Divers at Capernwray Diving Centre in Carnforth, and featured in a documentary series on BBC North West Tonight.
In October, Shaun completed his latest amazing challenge - an infamous scuba dive which has claimed more than 100 lives.
Shaun took on the Bells Blue Hole in Dahab, Egypt, which is known as 'divers' graveyard' due to the high number of fatalities.
The Blue Hole, on the coast of the Red Sea, has a maximum depth of just over 100m (328 feet), and is in such a remote location that Shaun had to be carried on a stretcher to reach the entrance.
He was trained for the dive by Curly and the team from Morecambe Area Divers, based at Capernwray near Carnforth.
Read more: LISTEN: Inspiring Lancaster paraplegic adventurer takes on deadly scuba dive - Beyond Radio
Shaun is also one of the coaches for the Lancaster Bulldogs wheelchair basketball team, a motivational speaker and an international product specialist for RGK Wheelchairs.
Last year, Shaun was one of a group of people across the country who was invited to appear on ITV show Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway after raising a combined £40m for good causes.
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