For most of us, completing a marathon would be reason to celebrate and retire gracefully, safe in the knowledge we’d fulfilled our ambition and no one would expect us to put ourselves through such training again…
One marathon is not enough, however, for former Stratford-Upon-Avon RFC rugby player and IPF member Gareth Rees. Two years after completing the London Marathon in his SA Mogg Ltd custom-built running wheelchair, Gareth is preparing for marathon number two, this time in Paris.
Gareth was part of history in 2024 when he and his team of runners completed the London Marathon in the inaugural year of wheelchairs being pushed by up to four runners.
The dream team which includes Gareth’s cousin, Dr Darren Cooper, NFU Mutual work colleague Wendy Woodhouse and two former Stratford-upon-Avon Rugby teammates Richard Pepperel and Flo Vialan, will reunite on French streets having enjoyed the London circuit so much.
It was the atmosphere of that day that will stick most in Gareth’s mind, rather the months of planning and training that had led up to the event:
“It was pure joy and support all the way along the course,” he said. “Despite the fact that I was being pushed in a chair everyone was still cheering me on, which I wasn’t sure would happen. Everybody on the route was so supportive.
“My team of runners obviously had the hardest job on the day, whereas I got to experience the full enjoyment of seeing all the sights. I was relatively relaxed sitting in my chair, being able to absorb the atmosphere and having time to pick out people we knew in the crowd.
“It was a fantastic day all round, though obviously very tiring for everyone involved. We started at 11am and finished around 4:30pm.”
“The IPF has been there for me and my family since the start, supporting us while in hospital, and they’ve continued to support me over the past 15 years."
Having raised over £7,000 for the IPF and got the time they were aiming for in London - five and a half hours - Gareth’s says his fundraising goal for the Paris Marathon, on 12 April, is to take his IPF tally to £10,000 across the two marathons.
“We are aware people might think they’ve done it already-what’s the difference?” he says, “but everybody is two years older now and, of course, we’d like to beat our previous time!”
Speaking about what inspired him and his team to enter their second marathon together, Gareth said:
“Last year we did the Coventry half-marathon and that gave us all the bug again. So, when I got home that day, I applied for the Paris Marathon!
“Planning the logistics and travel is challenging, particularly in another country, but luckily one of our runners, Flo, is French, so that’s helped enormously on the translation side!
“There’s also another French connection because Stratford Rugby Club is twinned with Sporting Club Universitaire de France, (SCUF) in Paris. It’s believed to have been the first international club fixture ever played in rugby union and the clubs still play each other annually.
“Taking on this next challenge is partly to prove I can do it and partly my way of giving back again to the Injured Players Foundation, who have helped me so much since my spinal cord injury in 2011.
“The IPF has been there for me and my family since the start, supporting us while in hospital, and they’ve continued to support me over the past 15 years.
“They’ve funded an adapted vehicle and helped me buy my house, which needed adaptations after the injury. That means I don't have a mortgage now, so I can make enough from my part-time wage to pay my bills and still go out and enjoy doing things that I want to at the weekend, rather than feeling that I need to stay at home all the time.
“I’ve also loved taking part in the activities the IPF organises for members as part of their Engage Programme. The accessible ski trip and outward bounds weekend were brilliant. I’m hoping to try the watersports day, and I’ve signed up for a zipwire!
“The focus is always on living life and enjoying yourself, regardless of what’s happened through injury. The charity connects you with people in similar situations so you can share experiences and support each other while having a lot of fun at the same time, like at trips to the Allianz Stadium to watch rugby matches.
“The IPF really look after their members. Whatever the problem is, they look to see if there’s a way it can be solved or how we could approach things in a different way. It's just a fantastic charity. So, this challenge is about raising money to thank them. We already have the bespoke wheelchair thanks to SA Mogg Ltd, and it has all the IPF branding on, so we’re all set, and hopefully people will get behind us again.”
If you would like to support Gareth and his team of runners, visit his just giving page https://www.justgiving.com/page/garethinparis
