Loughborough Wheelchair Racer Joins London Marathon
Jono Whitehead, 34, from Loughborough will take part in the TCS London Marathon on Sunday, 26 April. He uses a wheelchair full-time and will self-propel for the entire 26.2-mile course. He will be among roughly 50,000 runners on marathon day.
About Jono Whitehead
Doctors diagnosed him with limb girdle muscular dystrophy in 2018. The condition is a dysferlinopathy caused by a genetic inability to make the protein dysferlin. It has progressively weakened his calf, hip and shoulder muscles.
He now uses a wheelchair to get around most of the time. Jono received his diagnosis at age 27.
The marathon challenge
The Loughborough wheelchair racer will complete the full course alongside his brother Mat, aged 32. Both men are from Loughborough and will push and pace together. Jono is fundraising for Muscular Dystrophy UK.
Sport and motivation
After his diagnosis he sought sport to stay active. A 2021 article about a Paralympian from his hometown inspired him to try new activities.
He has tried wheelchair rugby, boccia, frame running, wheelchair racing and seated throwing. He always dreamed of running and now competes using a racing wheelchair.
Fundraising and support
Muscular Dystrophy UK supports more than 110,000 children and adults in the UK. The charity helps people with over 60 different muscle wasting and weakening conditions.
- Donate via Jono’s JustGiving page to back his effort.
- Visit musculardystrophyuk.org for more information.
- Call the free helpline on 0800 652 6352, open Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm.
Filmogaz.com will follow Jono’s progress and publish updates. Readers can find coverage and fundraising links on Filmogaz.com.
