Tom Harrison, a retired police officer from Amersham, has accomplished something truly remarkable.
On April 23rd, he completed the TCS London Marathon in 12 hours and 45 minutes. That may not sound like a big deal, but the catch is that he walked the entire 26.2 miles backwards! And if that wasn't enough, he did it to raise money for the British Red Cross Ukraine appeal.
Tom was the last person to cross the finish line at about 11.35pm, but that didn't matter to him. He was just happy to have completed the challenge he set for himself and to have raised money for a good cause. He has always been a big supporter of the British Red Cross and their work, and he wanted to do something to help their efforts in Ukraine.
The winners of the London Marathon this year were Eliud Kipchoge from Kenya and Brigid Kosgei also from Kenya. They both finished the race in just over two hours and were cheered on by thousands of spectators. In contrast, Tom was mostly on his own, but he did have the support of people from all over the world who were following his progress online.
This wasn't Tom's first time participating in the London Marathon. In fact, he's completed it six times before, one year dressed up as a gorilla, ‘walking’ on his hands and feet and taking six days! But this year, he decided to do something even more challenging.
Walking backwards for 26.2 miles is no easy feat, but Tom was determined. He trained for months leading up to the marathon, practicing in particular, not tripping or fall, and it all paid off as he managed to make it all the way to the finish line in one piece!
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