The 34-year-old father of three ran in support of a charity that funds brain tumor research, for which he managed to raise over 10,000 euros. On his crowdfunding page he wrote:"I want to be a HUGE role model not just to my children but to others out there who are 'disabled' and don’t get enough credit and to people who don’t think they can do stuff."His social media accounts were awash with praise and congratulations following the historic event. Well-wishers called him an "inspiration" and lauded him for "breaking barriers."The London Marathon dubbed him #SpiritofLondon award winner for 2018, and despite not winning any official medals, he received numerous donation medals from spectators and supporters.Omg I’ve Done It,The 1st Paralysed Male To complete The @LondonMarathon In It’s History, The Fastest @ReWalk_Robotics User To Complete A Full Marathon In The World In 26.5Hours, Raising Money For @BrainTumourOrg sponsors @trampmenswear @EditorsKeys @PhysioFunction #simonsmarathon pic.twitter.com/JwAXFOudVR
— Simon kindleysides (@simonsmarathon) April 24, 2018
Though Kindleysides is the first paralyzed man to have completed the London Marathon, he is not the first paralyzed person to do so. In 2012, Claire Lomas made headlines when she became the first paraplegic to complete the course (also with the help of ReWalk), a challenge that took her 17 days. Her accomplishment also granted her the honor of lighting a torch at Trafalgar Square ahead of that year's Paralympics.Claire, who was paralyzed in a horse-riding accident, said the ReWalk suit is "brilliant" and has been invaluable to her.ReWalk was originally created two decades ago by mechanical engineer Amit Goffer. He began working on the device after a road accident left him paralyzed in 1998. The bionic suit has since helped people around the world regain relative independence and autonomy over their bodies.Simply incredible 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
— London Marathon (@LondonMarathon) April 24, 2018