John aims to inspire people to ‘give it a go’

John Willis, born without arms and legs, is competing as part of a three man team in the Eton Dorney Diamond Triathlon to raise money for the English Federation of Disability Sport.

John, trained as a lawyer at Cambridge University and recently changed career to become a highly sought after business consultant. Ever up for a challenge, John coxed rowing crews at Cambridge and his exploits on a water ski are legendary! Although a keen swimmer, at the age of 52, this will be his first competitive swimming experience. He states;

“Disabled swimming passed me by; I was too old by the time it had become anything other than a very minority sport. By competing at the Diamond Triathlon I am showing that you can make your own challenge, that it isn’t just about winning or taking part, it is about trying to reach a goal.”  

He is raising money for the English Federation of Sport as he wants to support a charity that promotes opportunities for disabled people to take part in sport. He is also supporting the Inspiration Federation, a new charity that promotes positive leadership, citizenship and social responsibility among young people.

John, who has been training for the past 12 months, wants to inspire everyone to ‘give it a go’. He said,

 “Taking on this challenge shows that disabled people, at whatever age, can participate and compete in competition,”

John will be competing as part of a three man relay team with his friends Tim and Henry. He will be completing the 1500m swimming section of the event and hopes to complete the swim in under an hour. He added

“We can all create our own challenge. I have reduced my time by 18 minutes and am competitive enough to want to do better.”

If you would like to support John and donate to his fundraising efforts please use the following link https://my.give.net/triathlonswim

Disability Sport Events, the events programme of EFDS, is solely funded by grants, donations and sponsorship. As well as working with National Governing Bodies to increase their participation opportunities for disabled people, DSE also identifies gaps in provision and manages a varied portfolio of events.

 If you have been inspired by John to take on your own fundraising challenge please do not hesitate to get in touch with our events team events@efds.co.uk