Croydon resident Philip Davis refuses to let COVID-19 stop him from running his first ever marathon as he joins friend and fellow former British Disability Gymnastics teammate, Charlotte Aspley, to take on the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon in Charlotte’s hometown Lichfield in Staffordshire.
Philip, 35, who has a learning disability and dyspraxia, has represented his country in the British Disability Gymnastics team up until 2015 as well as in the 2011 Special Olympics World Games, where he won seven medals including silver on the pommel horse and gold on the parallel bars. Philip has never wanted to be defined by his disability and found that sport helped him break down barriers. He now coaches gymnastics at the Croydon School of Gymnastics
Talking about his journey and why he is running the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon for Mencap, Philip says: 'I’ve always tried to personally push my disability to one side. I wouldn’t say I struggled at school so much as I did need a bit of extra help. I wasn’t the best, but I turned up for all the training sessions after school, just because I wanted to do it.
'You hear about people with disabilities who are just confined to their homes, maybe because they’re afraid to go out or they’ve got nothing to do, some people are nervous as well. But through sport you get to meet other people in a similar position to you and you can make friends. I’ve got people who’re friends without disabilities as well who I met at college who have disabilities.
'I’ve been wanting to do the London Marathon for a while, so to do it for Mencap will be something extra because I have a learning disability. Even if you have walk part it, eventually you will find your way into it. Get a second wind as they call it. Just go for it! If you think you can’t do something, don’t think like that! You should always think positive. Prove people wrong.'