Matthew Rhodes Marathon Effort
16 Apr 10
On Monday 19th April, St Dunstaner Matthew Rhodes, a former Army Physical Training Instructor, successfully completed his bid to compete in the first Brighton Marathon.
However, Matt’s bid is no ordinary challenge. In 1995, during a tour of Bosnia, Matt sustained severe injuries as a result of a motorbike accident. The accident left him paralysed down the right side of his body, and he was registered as blind due to brain injuries.
Matt, who was raising funds for St Dunstan’s and Guide Dogs for the Blind, was guided along the route by Andy Brown, a contractor for St Dunstan's and fellow sports enthusiast. Come rain or shine, Matt and Andy had trained hard over several months leading up to the event.
Matt completed the course over two days, in a time of 13 hours. He was joined in his marathon efforts by St Dunstaner Don Planner and 30 fundraisers running on behalf of St Dunstan’s.
Matt began his fundraising exploits in 2004 with a 12,000ft skydive and then swam, abseiled, paraglided and rode a horse, all in the name of raising money for St Dunstan’s. His toughest challenge to date was completing the London Marathon alongside his mum Hilary in 2007. “I was in so much pain but there was no way I was going to stop. I wanted to do it for everyone at St Dunstan’s because they’re amazing."
When he was first put in contact with St Dunstan’s, Matt was struggling to adjust to sight loss and reduced mobility. St Dunstan’s carried out a thorough assessment looking at Matt’s needs and what he wanted to achieve. He worked closely with a specialist member of staff called a ROVI (Rehabilitation Officers for People with Visual Impairment) who taught him key independent living skills such as getting around safely and navigating a kitchen.
As Matt was living in a flat which was unsuitable for his needs, St Dunstan’s rehoused him in a suitable property. Our Estates and Welfare Teams worked with an occupational therapist to adapt the house and ensure parts were custom built to enable him to navigate safely and easily. Now aged 34, Matt lives with his wife and their four children. He says: “Since my accident I have never let my disability stop me from doing anything and, over the last couple of years, I have completed various sponsored events to give back to the charities – such as St Dunstan’s – that have helped support me.”
The marathon organisers set up a special finish post for Matt on Monday 19th April. He was escorted on the final leg by a contingent from St Dunstan's, including staff and fellow St Dunstaners and a military police motorcycle convoy. Whilst family, friends, pupils from Rodean and local well wishers waved him in at the finish line. You can support Matt and help St Dunstan's provide vital assistance to more blind heroes by visiting: www.justgiving.com/Matthew-Rhodes
Matthew Rhodes