This is London Magazine April Edition 2026 - Flipbook - Page 38
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INSPIRATIONAL PEOPLE AT
TCS LONDON MARATHON
The 2026 TCS London Marathon on
Sunday 26 April will bring together more
than 60,000 extraordinary people,
including former England U21 rugby
player Matt Hampson, whose
#mattseverest challenge headlines a lineup of powerful human stories, including
two brothers with hereditary dementia,
remarkable American comeback journeys,
world record attempts and personal
charity tributes.
Paralysed from the neck down in a
2005 training accident, aged just 20, Matt,
now 41, established the Matt Hampson
Foundation to support young people
rebuilding their lives after catastrophic
sporting injuries. Matt will tackle his first
TCS London Marathon in a wheelchair as
part of an assisted wheelchair team.
Among the most powerful stories this
year are those of brothers Jordan and
Cian Adams, from Redditch,
Worcestershire, who both carry a rare
genetic mutation giving them a near
certain chance of developing
frontotemporal dementia in their 40s. The
pair have become major advocates for
dementia awareness through their FTD
Brothers Foundation and have raised
more than £400,000 for Alzheimer’s
Research UK.
Flying to the start line from Copley,
Ohio, US, after extraordinary adversity, are
Danelle and Richard Villers, whose lives
were turned upside down in late 2024.
Within 24 hours, Richard, 60, suffered two
torn quadriceps tendons and a broken
ankle in a workplace accident, while
Danelle, 51, was diagnosed with a benign
tumour compressing her spinal cord. The
injuries cut short Danelle’s quest to
complete all six Abbott World Marathon
Majors after running Boston, New York,
Chicago and Berlin. After months of
physiotherapy, relearning to walk and
rebuilding their strength, the couple are
here for the London Marathon.
This year’s marathon will also feature
Special Olympics athlete Erica Dixon, 26,
from Barnard Castle, County Durham,
who will attempt to break two Guinness
World Records by becoming the fastest
and youngest female with an intellectual
disability to run a marathon. Erica’s
cognitive ability means that everyday
tasks that many of us take for granted can
require significantly more effort, planning
and resilience. She is hoping to achieve a
sub-4:15 finish in London this year.
Donna Manser and Ben Myall will run
in memory of family members cared for
by the 2026 TCS London Marathon
Charity of the Year, Marie Curie. Donna,
48, from Devon, is running in memory of
her dad, Bryan, who died from liver
cancer in 2024. Donna ran the 2025 TCS
London Marathon for Marie Curie and is
going for round two in 2026.
And, Gill Punt, from Bromsgrove,
Worcestershire, affectionately known as
‘Paula the Polar Bear’, is approaching an
extraordinary £2 million raised for cancer
charities as she prepares for her 14th
London Marathon and 30th marathon
overall. ‘I’m not going to stop at two
million,’ she says. ‘The ultimate finishing
line is a world without cancer, so when
we get to that, the polar bear will hang up
her paws.’
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