Special Olympics athlete to take on the London Marathon
Rugeley-based athlete Daniel Mills is proudly part of the first-ever team of Special Olympics Great Britain (GB) athletes taking on the world famous 26.2-mile course at next month’s TCS London Marathon.
Daniel (21) is one of 10 athletes with a learning disability representing Special Olympics GB at the TCS London Marathon and is hoping to raise funds towards the movement’s upcoming National Summer Games.
Special Olympics GB uses the power of sport to transform the lives of children and adults with an intellectual disability. Its first national Summer Games for nine years, due to the pandemic, will be comprised of eight single-sport national competitions and a seven-sport, five-day event in Birmingham at the end of August, where Daniel plans to compete in athletics.
Daniel has been part of Special Olympics Stafford for more than 15 years, training regularly with the club at Rowley Park in the summer and Beaconside Sports Centre in winter. He has represented it in multiple Special Olympics GB athletics competitions across the country.
The opportunity to run the London Marathon has developed following his regular participation in the Superhero Triathlon at Dorney Lake, Windsor, over the last three years and being inspired by three other Special Olympics GB athletes who have run in the last two TCS London Marathons.
“There are a lot of people in the world who do not understand people with learning disabilities or what we are capable of achieving, so the opportunity to run 26.2 miles is a great way to show them,” said Daniel.
“Running London has always been one of my life goals and I’ve been working hard with my coach since the end of last year on my training plan.
“I believe that everyone with a disability has a superpower and I’m very excited to join my fellow athletes, in London next month, to show off our superpowers on the biggest stage.”
Daniel is running the TCS London Marathon with Dominic Gibson, who is a long-standing supporter of Special Olympics Stafford, and the son of Clive Gibson, who is the club’s Head Coach.
Having just completed the Olympic Park Series 10K last weekend alongside his nine Team Special Olympics GB teammates, Daniel is running the Stafford Half Marathon this Sunday with Dominic.
To sponsor Daniel and help Special Olympics GB in delivering its National Summer Games for up to 1,700 children and adults with intellectual disabilities, please click here.
