Richard Whitehead MBE won his first world title at the World Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand – and that title was quickly followed by European and Paralympic gold in 2012.
He went on to retain his T42 200m world title in 2013 before embarking on a charity expedition, which saw him run 40 marathons in 40 days. In doing so, Richard became the first double leg amputee to run the length of the country.
He broke the world record on his way to another world title at Doha 2015 and in 2016 he claimed double sprint gold at the European Championships before heading to the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games where he defended his 200m title and tied for 100m silver. At the rescheduled 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games he claimed silver in the T61 200m.
At the 2017 World Championships in London, he won 200m gold and 100m bronze. Further success came his way in 2018 with T61 200m gold at the European Championships in Berlin, Germany, followed by silver at the 2019 World Championships.
Richard recently launched The Richard Whitehead Foundation, which aims to inspire and tackle the barriers faced by people with disabilities in accessing sport and being engaged in their community.
He completed his 77th marathon recently following this year’s London Marathon.
He was made a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 New Year’s Honours List.