HE'S walked across the Alps, been blessed by a Pope and now he has shaken hands with the Duke of Edinburgh.

Blaine Parker, of Rusheylea Close, Brownlow Fold, has added the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award to his impressive collection of achievements.

It was a personal triumph for the 20-year-old supermarket security worker, who recovered from a crippling childhood disease that kept him in a wheelchair for two years.

Blaine, a former Bolton RAF cadet, received the gold award for walking 50 miles in four days, hiking across Germany and into Austria.

He collected the award from Prince Philip at St James's Palace in London.

Blaine said: "To receive the award is brilliant.

"Prince Philip was really nice and spoke to everyone personally and spent time with us all."

Blaine may now lead a very active lifestyle, but only a decade ago he could not walk.

At the age of nine, Blaine was diagnosed with Perthes' disease, a condition that causes temporary loss of the blood supply to the pelvis and weakens the hip joints.

He was bed-ridden for a time and spent two years confined to a wheelchair, during which time he was taken to be blessed by Pope John Paul II.

He had to walk with crutches until he was 14, when he was finally given a clean bill of health.

Blaine, a former pupil at Thornleigh Salesian College, said: "I didn't let being in a wheelchair prevent me from doing anything. I started wheelchair fencing, which I wasn't very good at, and I played a lot of wheelchair basketball."

In 2000, he enrolled on the Duke of Edinburgh scheme, earning his bronze award in 2002 and silver in 2004, before receiving his formal letter in August last year, confirming he would receive the gold award.

Blaine's mum, Jill Lightfoot, said: "I couldn't be more proud. Blaine has proved that there is nothing you can't achieve if you put your mind to it. If you fight for it, you will succeed."

Blaine had joined the 80 (Bolton) Squadron Air Cadets in 2000, rising to the rank of corporal four years later.

Three years ago he earned his "silver wings" for flying a glider plane solo and now plans to train for the RAF Fire Service.