Determined David, from Portsmouth, completes first marathon in wheelchair

Hard-working and determined David Williamson is always pushing his limits to raise money for charity.
Dave WilliamsonDave Williamson
Dave Williamson

The 37-year-old, who is a double amputee, is this week’s We Can Do It T-shirt winner after he completed his first marathon as part of the LimbPower Manic Marafun at the end of last month.

The event took place at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, the birthplace of the Paralympics, and was organised by LimbPower - a charity that supports and promotes amputees getting involved in sport.

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David, from Portsmouth, was inspired to take part in the event after being part of the Portsmouth LimbPower sitting volleyball team for the past seven years.

He said the charity and volleyball team changed his life and he felt he owed a debt of gratitude to raise money for them.

‘The original idea was for teams of 27 to do a mile each,’ David says.

‘But when people got there and were excited, they ended up doing well over what they planned.’

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David went above expectations by choosing the complete the whole marathon himself.

He finished the event in well under his planned time.

He adds: ‘I had originally planned to do it in six hours but ended up completing it in four hours and 44 minutes.

‘There was quite a bit of rain and when I came across kids I would slow down to give them encouragement and talk to their families.’

David raised around £400, with his team reaching a total of £8,000. For more information on the charity visit limbpower.com

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