A paralyzed man walked the London Marathon route wearing an exoskeleton suit, finishing around 11 p.m. Monday, nearly 36 hours after he started, according to British media.
Simon Kindleysides was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor in April 2013 and was paralyzed from the waist down, he said on the BBC before the race.
“I want to be a role model to my children so they can say their daddy’s been the first paralyzed man to walk the London Marathon ever,” said Kindleysides, a 34-year-old father of three, according to the report.
Kindleysides predicted he would finish in 37 hours, completing the first half of the 26.2-mile race on Sunday, then sleeping a few hours and walking the final 13.1 miles on Monday. Kindleysides said after finishing that he spent 26.5 of those 36 hours walking the marathon.
“Painful, emotional to walk that far in 26.5 hours,” he said. “It feels amazing. So glad I’ve done it. I’m here proving a point, anything is possible.”
Kindleysides said he handcycled from London to Paris for charity two years ago.
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MORE: London Marathon results
Well done @simonsmarathon who completed the London Marathon late last night - he is the first man to finish the race using a specialised exoskeleton suit. #LondonMarathon2018 🏅 pic.twitter.com/NAwS7sNUzd
— BBC Look East (@BBCLookEast) April 24, 2018
Simply incredible 👏👏
— TCS London Marathon (@LondonMarathon) April 24, 2018
Congratulations @simonsmarathon on such a remarkable achievement.
We're delighted to reveal that Simon Kindleysides has been named as a #SpiritofLondon award winner for 2018! 🙌#LondonMarathon https://t.co/6yTgD7hvgs
