Paralysed horseman takes on Great North Run

A paralysed racehorse owner and breeder successfully completed the Great North Run on 30 September for the third time.

Tetraplegic Bill Shand Kydd was pushed around the 13-mile course from Newcastle to South Shields in a special lightweight wheelchair by a team of four runners — two friends, a godson and Bill’s son, Caspar.

“Caspar did absolutely brilliantly,” said Bill. “He’s 40 years old but he’s super fit. He and a friend stayed with me to the very end. But I lost one pusher — who is about 65 — after three miles, and another, my godson, after eight miles.”

He said his team had managed nine-minute miles.

“I was thrilled to bits,” he added, “but it was incredibly uncomfortable as I didn’t have the proper headrest.”

Bill said he was sent the chair without the correct headrest so he had DIY experts transfer the headrest from his electric chair the night before the race.

Despite this “cock-up” the team completed the course in 2 hr 4 mins, beating their previous year’s time of 2 hr 17mins.

“Next year I’m going to do it in under two hours. If we manage that I might hang up my racing wheels,” he joked.

The aim was to raise funds and awareness for the charity Spinal Research. He’s raised about £6,000 this year and is aiming for £10,000.

Before his accident 10 years ago when he fell from a horse in a team chasing accident, Bill was a successful point-to-pointer and won the National Hunt chase at the Cheltenham Festival in 1973.

To contribute to Bill’s Spinal Research fund visit www.justgiving.com/greatnorthpush07

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