JONATHAN Brough is a man of action – always has been.

You only need look at the races he’s taken part in in recent years to see that: Wings For Life World Run; Mencap Birmingham 10k; MoRunning (supporting the Movember Foundation).

He’s done the London Bridges Walk for the Spinal Injuries Association.

He plays boccia – a precision ball sport – at national level.

And he’s hurtled down mountains at speed on the fleetest of skis.

Jonathan, 31, has done all these things while permanently attached to a life-support machine, his breathing done for him by a ventilator. And he does all his racing in a wheelchair, which he controls via a mouthpiece.

But the message he has for the world – whether he’s beatboxing ‘on stage’ at Rodborough’s Prince Albert, or simply out round the streets of his Minchinhampton home – is never anything but positive and cheerful.

“What I’d most like people to know is that achievements don’t stop once someone becomes disabled,” he says.

“I’ve been able to do so much in the 12 years since I became paralysed, including raising money for the kinds of charities that have supported me. I want to ensure that others who need it get the same help as I have.”

In his specially-adapted Minchinhampton home – where he lives thanks to round-the-clock carers – you can see photographs of young Jonathan competing on his own two feet.

All that came to an abrupt halt on his gap year back in 2007.

He was due to take up a marine biology course at Swansea University, but first flew off to train as a ski instructor in Canada.

He absolutely loved it: “You couldn’t keep me off the slopes,” he grins.

The only thing marring the experience was a persistent low-level feeling of illness.

A few days later, it developed into a full-blown migraine – and the next thing Jonathan remembers is waking up in a Canadian hospital: frightened, confused, unable even to speak.

The meningococcal meningitis he’d contracted – seemingly out of nowhere – could have easily killed him.

As it was, it has left him permanently paralysed from the neck down, unable in the early months even to speak.

It’s been a long, hard slog to rehabilitation, but not much stops Jonathan.

In his 20s, he finally achieved his ambition of getting a degree, graduating in media arts from Plymouth University. (He’s a talented filmmaker, to boot.)

Perhaps the most remarkable of his achievements, though, is daring to venture back onto the ski slopes two years ago.

“I was worried it might bring back difficult memories,” he admits, “but it felt amazing finally being able to ski again.”

He was able to experience that exhilaration thanks to a ski adapted for the disabled: a bucket-seat for Jonathan, with an instructor piloting from behind.

Over three days, they skied from various peaks around Chamonix, including the Les Saisies giant slalom course where the 1992 Winter Olympics were held.

Not even the fact that one of his skis broke halfway down a mountain – a potentially serious situation – could put him off.

“It was such a feeling of freedom,” he says.

“One of the best moments was when I managed to overtake my dad, who was skiing alongside us!”

Jonathan is now vulnerable to all sorts of health issues – in the past few weeks, he’s spent one of several occasions back in intensive care.

He’s also had to cancel trips because of lack of funds.

But rarely, if ever, will you hear him complain.

His dad, Jon said: “I never thought, as a parent, that you would learn things from your children.

“But this is a very clear case of me learning from Jonathan - about how to cope; how to accept. And discovering how much inner strength he really has.”

Jonathan is currently attempting to raise around £17,000 for a new wheelchair that would improve his life significantly.

The Frontier V6 All-Terrain wheelchair can be used every day, but is tough enough to cope with off-road conditions, too.

“I grew up roaming beautiful Minchinhampton Common,” Jonathan says.

“This chair would give me back the freedom I crave, and also allow me and my family a touch of our old lives back.”

To donate towards Jonathan’s new chair, visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/jbsv6fund