A marathon feat with just pain to show for it
THE first paralysed man to complete the London Marathon on foot has crossed the finish line – but has been denied a medal because he completed the race a day late.
Simon Kindleysides, who was the last competitor to cross the finishing line, set off at 10am on Sunday alongside thousands of other racers and finished at 10.46pm on Monday.
The 34-year-old, a father-of-three from Blofield, Norfolk, was diagnosed with functional neurological disorder and a glioma brain tumour in 2013, which left him paralysed from the waist down.
He walked the 26.2-mile marathon course using a Rewalk robotic exoskeleton suit that senses subtle changes in its user’s centre of gravity to move.
But because Mr Kindleysides did not finish the race on Sunday, he has been refused an official medal.
He has been donated some medals from well-wishers and has also been awarded the Spirit of London award, which organisers give to participants who “encapsulate the unique spirit” of the race. He was the first finisher from this year’s race to be given the award.
Mr Kindleysides joins the likes of former boxer Michael Watson, the Rev Steve Chalke, the biggest individual fundraiser, and Fauja Singh, the oldest person to finish the event, who have been given the award in the past.
Marathon organisers said that they had worked closely with Mr Kindleysides to support his logistics team.
He was raising money for The Brain Tumour Charity and, by last night, had raised £8,630.04 of his goal of £10,000.
After the race Mr Kindleysides said: “I am in a lot of pain. It has taken it out of me and I don’t know how it is going to affect me physically afterwards.
“I hadn’t walked 26 miles in my life when I was able-bodied, so that is a massive achievement in itself.”
He added: “I just wanted to show that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. You can stay in bed and feel sorry for yourself or get out and enjoy your life, because you are only here once.”