Richard Whitehead
"Cometh the hour, cometh the man."
Age: 31
Hometown: Nottingham, England
Date of Birth: July 19, 1976
Events: Road Racing 10K, Half Marathons, Ultra Marathons
Occupation: Disability Sports Performance Pathways Coach
Sponsors: Ossur, Fluid
Charities: MacMillan Cancer Support
Schooling: Lowdham Church of England School, Colonel Frank Seeley, Clarendon Collage.
Employment
- Clifton Leisure Centre Nottm - Swimming teacher, Swimming co-ordinator, Sports leader
- Educational swimming teacher 1998-2003
- Camp America, working as a program councillor at Camp Jewell in the U.S.A for 9 months including specialised camps for children with cancer.
- Extra on blockbuster film Gladiator and Time to Love
- Sports ambassador for Nottinghamshire
- Sporting Champions for Youth Sport Trust
- Dayncourt Sports Collage - Teaching assistant and sports collage officer
- Disability Sports Performance Pathways Coach for children aged between 7 - 16
Achievements
- Child Achievement Award
Swimming
- World Youth Games Miami 1989 U.S.A - 9 Gold's 1 Bronze
- World Youth Games Adelaide 1991 Australia - 4 gold's, 3 silvers, 2 bronze
- European Championships Barcelona 1992
- National Junior Medals 36 gold's, 13 silvers, 12 bronze
- International competitions also in Germany (Köln), Russia (S.t Petersburg), Spain (Marbella)
Cricket
- Captain of Disabled Cricket Team 1999-present
- Over 500 runs and 40 wickets
- Indoor runner up 2005
- Selected for National Disabled Cricket team for 2005/2006
- Member of England Touring Development Squad
Sledge Hockey
- Nottinghamshire County Council Amateur team of the year 2005
- Paralympics 2006 in Turin - scored 4 points (3 assists and 1 goal)
- European Championships in Zlin - 3 points (3 goals)
- Great Britain player - over 40 caps, 29 international goals
- Tournaments in Sweden, Italy, Wales and Czech Republic
- Great Britain all star member
- Nottingham Knights centre division champions and top point scorer with 45 points.
- Assistant Captain Great Britain (2006/2007)
Running
- Running legs provided by Ossur 2004
- Running Legs with knees Provided by Hanger prosthetics 2006
- Three weeks warm weather training in Oklahoma, U.S.A 2006
- New York Marathon 2004 - Finished in 5h 18mins - Raising £8,200.00 for Macmillan Cancer Relief
- Snowdonia Marathon 2005 - finished in 5h 40mins - Raising £1,500.00 for Macmillan Cancer Relief
- Cape Town Two Oceans Ultra Marathon (34.5miles) - finished in 6h 13 mins
- Robin Hood Half Marathon 2005 - finished in 1h 48mins
- Robin Hood Half Marathon 2006 - 1h 52mins (new course)
- Robin Hood Half Marathon 2007 - 1h 33mins
- 10k time - Rother Valley 48.13mins 2006
- 10k Time Three Villages 44.34 2007, 39.27 2008
- 10k Southwell 38.58 2007, 47.19 2006, 48.58 2005, 49.11 2004
- 10k Friends 50.01 2005
- 10k Wollerton Park 50.18 2006
- Southwell Triathlon 2006
- New York Marathon 2006 4hours 09mins Raised £5,500.00 for Sarcoma Uk
- Worksop Half Marathon 2006 1hour 47mins
- Adidas Half Marathon at Silverstone 2007 1.38.17
- Flora London Marathon 3 hours 52 mins 48 seconds
- Edinburgh Marathon 4 hours and 04mins 32 seconds
- Principia 10k 43.32 2007
- Comrades 56 mile Ultra-Marathon South Africa 9 hours 54 mins 21 sec 2007
- British 10k 47.12 2007
- Berlin Marathon 3 hours 28 mins 58 seconds 2007
- Durban coast Half marathon 1 hour 38 mins 17 seconds 2007
- Worksop Half Marathon 1 hour 31mins 58 seconds 2007
- Turkey Trot half Marathon 1 hour 33mins 31 seconds 2007
Awards
- East Midlander of the year 2005
- Outstanding Achievement Award Nottingham County Council 2006
- Sports Personality of the year - Gedling Borough Council 2006
- Disabled Sportsman of the Year 2006 - BBC East Midlands Sports Awards
- Nottingham's Inspiration award 2007
- Lord Taverners Sports Endeavour Award 2007
Public Speaker
- Robert Miles Junior School
- D.A.K.O Gymnastics club 2005/2006/2007
- Gedling Sports Awards 2006
- Frank Seeley 6th Form Awards
- Kimberley Swimming Club
- Rotary club
- Radcliffe-on-trent junior school
- Manning School
- Duke of Edinburgh Awards Nights varies
- Guest of Honour at Notts County Football Club
- Rushcliffe Sports Awards 2005/2006
- Sherrardsword School, Hertfordshire
- Brookhill Leys School
- Key Note speaker at Nottingham Sports Conference
- Flora London Marathon Macmillan Pre-race evening
- Runnersworld pasta party Comrades 2007
- Wells Road Mental Health Hospital
- KirkLees Athletics Club
- Lord Taverners Sports Awards
- Special Schools Conference 2007
Sitting Volleyball
European championships 2007
All star Player 2007 Best Blocker "European championships"
Great
Britain Player 2007 -
Statement
In 2004, I found that I had
a talent within a sport that would enable me to achieve lifetime goals
and give something back to the sports and charities that had supported
me.
Running is a sport that due
to advances in technology I am now able to participate in on a level
playing field as my able bodied counterparts.
I am going to run faster, longer
and stronger with goals that reflect that. I will continue to run marathons,
ultra marathons, and coast to coast runs all over the world.
I also want to compete on the
iron man stage but my aspirations are bigger than that. I want to make
a difference. To prove that even though I have a disability I have overcome
barriers that have been put in front of me.
Hopefully I can pass on a message
of hope through my dedication to sport and be an inspiration to all.
If I could sum up everything I do, it would be what's tattooed on my right arm 'cometh the hour, cometh the man'.
Richard Whitehead