Lloyd Martin, the youngest ever Down’s syndrome marathon runner, completes the London Marathon.
Anything is possible if you set your heart to it!
To prove this, 19-year-old athlete – Lloyd Martin with Down’s syndrome showed that his condition is no limitation when he recently completed the London Marathon.
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The young lad from Cardiff, England, ran 26.4 miles to receive a Guinness World Records certificate at the end of his run.
54-year-old Ceri Hooper, Martin’s mom, is the real driving force behind his achievements. She told BBC News, “In his own words, it’s achieving his dream.”
Martin determinedly ran through the initial 14 miles, and this is his personal best, after which he alternated between walking and jogging until he reached the finish line.
Hooper is also an active participant in international track and field competitions and represents Wales. She has run the London Marathon four times and completed the Chicago and Boston marathons too.
Before Martin took on the mammoth task of running the marathon, she ensured that her son had all the necessary training and motivation beforehand.
Martin is now the youngest person in the intellectual impairment category to have finished a marathon.
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Apart from being a runner, he is also a gymnast and footballer at the Special Olympics Great Britain. The organization helped him secure a spot for himself in the marathon.
Hooper had only five months to get Martin prepared for the long run and he was mainly trained through 5K races.
To help Martin build his stamina for the long run, she created a customized training plan for him.
It was an emotional moment when the mother-son duo crossed the finish line and cried tears of happiness.
