A resident of Norfolk, England became the first paralyzed man to finish the London Marathon on Monday, national British daily The Telegraph reports, with the help of the Israeli-developed exoskeleton suit, Rewalk, with helps paraplegics regain mobility. Simon Kindleysides was able to complete the entire 26.2 miles (42 km) with the help of the suit, but was not awarded a medal because he only finished the race a day later, a full 36 hours after the race began at 10 am. He was the last person to cross the finish line. The 34-year old was diagnosed with a glioma brain tumor and a functional neurological disorder in 2013, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. He ran to support a charity that funds brain tumor research and raised over $12,000. While he received no official medals for the feat, the London Marathon named him the #SpiritofLondon award winner for 2018 and he received numerous donations from spectators and supporters. On his crowdfunding page, he wrote: “I want to be a HUGE role model not just to my children but to others out there who are ‘disabled’ and don’t get enough credit and to people who don’t think they can do stuff.” Kindleysides is the first paralyzed man to complete the marathon, but he is not the first paralyzed person to do it. Claire Lomas in 2012 completed the course in 17 days with the help of ReWalk. At the time, Lomas, who was paralyzed in a horse-riding accident said the suit had been invaluable to her. ReWalk was originally created two decades ago by mechanical engineer Dr. Amit Goffer. He began working on the device after a road accident left him paralyzed in 1998. The bionic suit has since helped people around the world regain relative independence and autonomy over their bodies. Rewalk recently began focusing on a new product for the rehabilitation of people who have suffered a stroke, with the aid of a “soft exo-suit system,” the ReStore.
First paralysed man completes London Marathon with ReWalk suit
