An Army veteran is planning to become the first triple amputee to complete the London Marathon, hoping to inspire others with disabilities. Former corporal Andy Reid, 49, lost both legs and his right arm after stepping on an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan in 2009 while on patrol with the 3rd Battalion, the Yorkshire Regiment. He expects the 26.2-mile journey to take 12 to 13 hours and require approximately 80,000 steps.
A Mission of Inspiration and Remembrance
Reid, from St Helens in Merseyside, will walk the route on Sunday in honor of seven fallen comrades from his regiment. He stated, 'I'm still here despite my injury, so I've got to make the most of life.' He told the Press Association that the challenge aims 'to show other people with a disability or injury what can be achieved with the right mindset and with the right support network around them.'
Training and Mental Strength
Reid began training on New Year's Day with a four-mile walk and has since trained twice weekly. Having climbed Mount Kilimanjaro a few years ago, he understands the mental fortitude required. 'I know what kind of mental strength these things take when it gets a bit tough, where you've got to dig in,' he said. 'I know why I'm doing it – to hopefully inspire some other disabled people and because some of my friends didn't come home from Afghanistan.'
He added, 'I'm still here, so I think it's only right to try and do these things and remember them, guys and girls as well who paid the ultimate sacrifice.'
Support and Fundraising
Reid is hopeful that the crowd's energy will help him finish faster than his training walks, which he described as 'walking round and round in circles or up and down the local bypass' alone. His wife and supporters from the Army Benevolent Fund (ABF) will cheer him on. Near the finish line, he plans to pay respects at the Iraq and Afghanistan memorial in Victoria Gardens.
Reflecting on the finish, Reid said, 'It'll be one of relief, really, I think, and obviously accomplishment. I will sit and reflect afterwards when I get back to the apartment and think wow, that was amazing to be able to achieve that.'
He is raising funds for the ABF, which supported him post-injury, and his own charity, the Standing Tall Foundation, which provides mental health counselling, addiction, housing, and welfare support to veterans and communities in his hometown.
