Ironman champ Chrissie Wellington to support MND athlete Sam Perkins in TCS London Marathon

On 6 March 2019, triathlete Sam Perkins had his world turned upside down when he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease. Determined to do as much as possible in the time he had left, Sam set out on a mission to complete one more triathlon, which we reported 0n in July last year.

Now the determined athlete has set himself a goal for 2023. Sam might have lost all movement due to the ravaging effects of motor neurone disease, but he’s determined nothing will stop him from completing the TCS London Marathon on Sunday, 23 April.

One more Challenge

The 41-year-old project manager from East Leake in Leicestershire has recruited Britain’s four-time Ironman world champion Chrissie Wellington to lead a support team of four as they prepare to push Sam over 26.2 miles to raise funds and awareness for Sam’s charity Stand Against MND (SAM).

Sam is one of 10 people who have been provided with a place as assisted wheelchair participants by the organisers to give those unable to complete the course under their own steam the opportunity to be part of the event. The initiative was successfully introduced in October’s 2022 TCS London Marathon.

Formerly a keen Ironman triathlete, Sam had MND diagnosed in 2019 after suffering shortness of breath and being admitted to hospital with pneumonia because he was unable to clear fluid from lungs. The aggressive strand of the disease meant his condition quickly regressed and left him relying on a ventilator to breathe. He lost all movement in the months that followed.

Completing Outlaw Nottingham

Yet remarkably, Sam has not lost his zest for life or wonderful, self-deprecating sense of humour. With a strong family and support network behind him, he launched the charity Stand Against MND to raise funds into finding a cure.

Despite the further setback of a pandemic which left Sam shielding and putting many plans on hold, the charity still launched numerous initiatives including a series of children’s books and Artists Against MND, showcasing and selling works of local creatives. To date the charity has raised more than £130,000.

Last July, a flagship event took place when Sam was pushed around the half-marathon of the final leg of the Outlaw Triathlon in Nottingham.

With Sam’s former team-mate Steph (also part of the support team in London) swimming 1.2 miles and step-father Nick cycling 56 miles, a cast of willing pushers including former players of Sam’s beloved Nottingham Forest helped Sam complete an emotional 13.1 miles in a specially adapted racing chair.

Chrissie Wellington joins the team

It was during the build-up to the challenge that four-time Ironman world champion and iron-distance record holder Chrissie Wellington became aware of Sam’s story and the two forged a bond. Sam, a two-time Ironman finisher had used Chrissie’s achievements and renowned positive outlook as inspiration for his own triathlon endeavours.

Finding a cure to MND has long been a cause close to Chrissie’s heart. Early in her professional triathlon career, she was introduced to the parents of Jon Blais, a US triathlete who had contracted MND (ALS) and completed the Hawaii Ironman a year before his death in 2007.

His determined quote of: “Even if I have to be rolled across the finish line, I’m finishing,” was adopted by Chrissie, who would logroll across every finish line in Jon’s memory and to continue the awareness.

When the opportunity arose for Chrissie to lead the team to push SAM in London, she jumped at the chance. Chrissie says: “Sam’s story struck a chord with me and, after getting to know him, I became even more determined to help support and raise awareness for his charity in any way I could. Sam is an amazing individual and his attitude to make the best of every situation despite being hit with the cruellest of diseases is an example to us all.

“I have taken part in the TCS London Marathon a number of times, but always with a focus on myself and my own performance. This April will be so refreshingly different. It’s fantastic to see the work the TCS London Marathon organisers are doing to make the event as inclusive as possible and I’m so grateful for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help someone else realise a lifelong dream; someone who inspires me and who I am so proud to call a friend.

“To be part of a team with Sam, Frank, Tom and Steph – and his wider support crew – is an honour and privilege and, with the unrivalled atmosphere at the TCS London Marathon, I know this is going to be a phenomenal experience that we will never forget.”

The team is completed by Sam’s live-in carer and former Scottish international runner Frank McGowan, Sam’s step brother, doctor and trail runner, Tom Rawling, and Steph Cobb, who’ll be swapping the wetsuit for the running shoes to support Sam’s latest challenge.

“Honoured to have this opportunity”

The logistics are slightly more complicated than a regular wheelchair push. As well as an adapted chair that can support Sam’s neck and head in a comfortable enough position, the team will also be using a separate running buggy to transport a spare battery for Sam’s ventilator.

Sam says: “I’ll be honest, as a triathlete, I was never a fast runner, and after a strong swim and bike my memories of Ironman marathons are just being overtaken for 26.2 miles.

The London Marathon has always been the one standalone marathon I said I’d train for if I ever got a place, but I was never successful in the ballot.

“After I was diagnosed, I thought the chance had been taken away from me, until the announcement last year about assisted runners. Despite not being able to do it in the conventional way, I feel honoured to have this opportunity.

I’m so grateful to the organisers, and I’m looking forward to soaking up every last drop of the fabulous atmosphere this race provides. Plus, I’m confident however slowly we complete it, it’ll still be my fastest marathon ever!”

Sam and the team would love you to support them in their One More Marathon: Pushing The Limits challenge in London on 23 April. To donate to the cause, please visit www.justgiving.com/onemoremarathon

For more information about Sam’s One More Marathon: Pushing The Limits challenge, please contact info@standagainstmnd.com

About MND and Stand Against MND

Motor neurone disease (MND) is a degenerative neurological condition that attacks the nerves that control movement (motor neurones). It leads to muscle weakness, twitches, slurred speech and difficulty swallowing. While rare, life expectancy after diagnosis is one to five years. There are about 5,000 people with MND in the UK and about 1,100 people are diagnosed every year. There is currently no cure.

Stand Against MND is a charity started by Sam Perkins and his wife Emma in 2019 after Sam’s diagnosis of Motor Neurone Disease. It raises funds into research for a cure to MND and palliative care for those living with the disease. To date the charity has raised more than £130,000.

About the TCS London Marathon

The 2023 TCS London Marathon will take place on Sunday, 23 April. The London Marathon was first held on 29 March, 1981 and the millionth finisher in the history of the event crossed the line in 2016.

Since the first London Marathon, the event has raised more than £1.1 billion for charity.

Top image credit: RB Create