The reason I’m doing the run is simple – to prove that any barrier can be overcome. I’m living proof that having a disability shouldn’t stop you from achieving your goals. I’m a strong believer in living a life without limits, what my life has been about is accepting who you are and making the most of it. Once you’ve done that, you can push the barriers as far as they’ll go.

Winning a Gold medal at the 2012 Paralympics in London was a stepping stone on this mission and the Run is the next stage for me on this. Hopefully I can pass on a message of hope through my dedication to sport and be an inspiration to all.

My inspiration is a man called Terry Fox. Terry was an amputee and cancer sufferer who attempted to run the breadth of Canada before his death at the age of 22. Sadly he never completed his challenge. The idea of a run the length of Britain came from him and has been in my mind for about five years.

I’m running for two charities, Sarcoma UK and Scope. Both are fantastic causes and I chose them for specific reasons.

My inspiration for the run, Terry Fox, died from sarcoma in 1981, hence my link to Sarcoma UK. It is the main charity in the UK dealing with all types of sarcoma, and aims to achieve the best possible standard of treatment and care for patients with sarcoma.

Scope’s vision is also very close to my heart. Its vision is a world where disabled people have the same opportunities as everyone else. And also to drive change across society so that disabled people have the same opportunities as everyone else.

So – I’d love it if you’d like to join me on the Run, or if you’d like to make a donation, please visit: www.richardwhiteheadrunsbritain.com

Although it has only been a matter of weeks, it feels like she’s always been part of our lives and I’m loving being a dad.

My day-to-day training hasn’t changed too much, it just takes a little more time to get things done at home, so I’ve got even better at managing my time and training schedule. Its been a really good winter traing block, its all about sustaining performances following last year’s successes. I’ve been hitting the gym hard, and getting alot of road and track running under my belt – so I’m raring to go for the challenges of 2013!!

Elite Sports Properties are the management company appointed by Richard to manage all sponsorship, media, charity and other marketing activities.

Please email enquiries@espgb.co.uk for further assistance

Media

David Pugh handles all media requests for Richard on ESP’s behalf.

m: 07947 533528

e: david.pugh@edelman.com

Commenting on the race, Richard said; “Obviously this past winter has been tough and I’ve been putting in a lot of hard sessions with my coaches Liz Yelling and Keith Antoine. But this was about looking at where I’m at in the training cycle. I broke the world record at the test event in London and that was the start of the cycle. This is the middle of the cycle and the Paralympic Games in September is the end. I know I’ve still got a few gears to move up so it’s all really positive, especially working with such a dynamic coaching team who have helped me play to my strengths.”

“The whole atmosphere here today was great,” he said. “It’s an important day for GB athletes to gain confidence and a little bit of  success under the spotlight. I said I’d do 25.5-dead and I did. That’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to set a marker. Hopefully, this will go around the world and can tell certain other athletes that they need to step up if they want to challenge me.”

• 27 June 2012: 24.93 – 200m (T42), 2012 European Championships
• 27 May 2011: 57.06 – 400m (T42), Paralympic World Cup
• 10 October 2010: 2:42:52 – Chicago Marathon
• 21 March 2010: 1:14:59 – Reading Half Marathon

Swimming

• 1991 World Youth Games, Adelaide – 4 Gold, 3 Silver & 2 Bronze
• 1989 World Youth Games, Miami – 9 Gold & 1 Bronze
• 1992 European Championships, Barcelona
• National Junior Medals – 36 Gold, 13 Silver & 12 Bronze

Cricket

• Selected for National Disabled Cricket Team 2005/06
• Member of England Touring Development Squad

Sledge Hockey

• Team GB – 40 caps (29 International goals)
• Assistant Captain – Team GB (2006/07)
• Team GB – Paralympic 2006, Turin (4 points, 3 assists and 1 goal)
• Team GB – European Championships, Zlin
• Nottingham Knights – Centre Division Champions (Top Scorer 45 points)
• Nottingham County Council Amateur Team of the Year

Whitehead clocked a new top time of 24.93 to win gold in the event at June’s IPC Athletics European Championships in Stadskanaal, the Netherlands, where he also claimed bronze in the 100m T42 race.

Nearly 2,500 members of the public participated in June’s Athlete of the Month poll on www.paralympic.org, a new record, as Whitehead garnered 43 per cent of the vote.

“The winter’s been tough for me. It’s actually come to fruition now for me on the track,” Whitehead said after the performance in Stadskanaal.

“Obviously I’ve done quite well, but this is not the top gear. I’ve got gears to go through.”

It was actually the second time this year the double above-the-knee amputee broke the record across the 200m distance. He broke it previously at the London 2012 test event in May at the Olympic Stadium with a time of 25.50.

“This event was looking at where I am on the cycle,” Whitehead said of the European Championships. “The London test event was the start, this is the middle and 1 September, when my final takes place, will be the end.”

Whitehead rated his performance in Stadskanaal an eight out of 10, believing he has much more in store for 2012 and is eager to show the world what he can do when London hosts the Paralympic Games.

“I just want to keep pushing the boundaries and show to everybody that I’m not just there to represent Great Britain, but also to push the boundaries of sport and disability sport,” he said.

(Source www.uka.org.uk)

Boston Marthon 2009

Photo-shoot