I aim to do that in the next 3-5 years. The Olympic moment I remember most was Kelly Holmes in Athens taking double gold. Here’s what to know, Prepare to be inspired by the long distance runner turned sprinter, This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Richard Whitehead is the 200m world record holder and will be aiming for gold at the London 2012 Paralympics.

Published: 12:06 BST, 1 September 2012 | Updated: 13:56 BST, 1 September 2012. Flying the flag: Whitehead was cheered on by a full house of ParalympicsGB fans. I hated having to shovel down that amount of pasta. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. Then came a career conundrum. The 28-year-old threw a new European record of 20.50 metres, equating to 1015 points to claim Great Britain's fourth athletics medal of the Games. The 200m gave me an option and a platform for success and I’ve embraced it. Sprint king: Whitehead set a new record over 200m at the Olympic Stadium. Sport can be a powerful tool to promote inclusion. The King of Clay strikes again!

In marathon training I would rack up 90 miles plus a week, whereas for the track I train for 35 hours a week, with a focus on explosive exercises and strength and conditioning, not just running. Read about our approach to external linking. Richard Whitehead is the double leg amputee world record holder over the half-marathon [1:14:59 in Reading] and marathon [2:42:52 in Chicago]. Whitehead was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to athletics. When you come onto the Mall after 25.5 miles of pain and pushing your body to its limits and you see hundreds of thousands of people on the road supporting you it’s simply amazing. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA Published on Tue 24 Jul 2012 08.52 EDT 'I've still got the 100 to come which will be about putting my foot down.'. Whitehead's London 2012 goal was to leave a legacy, saying just to go after another record and a gold medal would be 'missing the whole ticket about the Games'. Some people think anyone who’s a double leg amputee can just put them on and run quick times, when that’s not the case at all. Back in April, we were honoured to meet Richard Whitehead - the marathoner turned men's 100m and 200m T42 sprinter. Find out how we fared at the sprinting masterclass with Richard Whitehead and read on to discover his thoughts as the Paralympics approach.

That's why I gave the two-gun salute at the end. He was second last after the first 100m but then with an incredible burst of speed, surged through the field to become the Paralympic Champion. By then of course everyone will know about Oscar Pistorius, who will compete in the Olympics and the Paralympics at London 2012. "I'm enjoying it but it's tough on the body," the Nottingham athlete said. He runs with prosthetic legs, as he has a double through-knee congenital amputation. When I was in marathon training I’d probably have two pasta based meals a day; I have two a week now. Refusing to give up his ambitions, he switched to the 200m, where hard work once again helped him smash world records in the T42 category.

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Richard won Gold in the London 2012 Paralympic Games in the T42 200m with an astonishing race. [6][7], Whitehead was appointed the first-ever patron of Sarcoma UK, the bone- and soft-tissue cancer charity, on 28 January 2013.[8]. The benefits of blades? Richard won Gold in the London 2012 Paralympic Games in the T42 200m with an astonishing race. He set world records for athletes with a double amputation, in both the full and half marathon. I think the marathon as an event is quite pure - anyone can access it as a sport, whether you’re running, walking, pushing somebody, spectating or marshaling.