Title/Author:
“Wheelchairs, Perjury and the London Marathon”
by Tim Marshall
Tags:
Wheelchair sports, history,
running, politics
Publish date:
March 8, 2018
Length:
184 pages
Rating:
4 of 5 stars (very good)
Review:
The story of how Tim
Marshall was able to secure participation rights for wheelchair athletes in the
London Marathon is told in this first-hand account that is a quick and
informative read about the struggles that these athletes faced in order to be
able to complete in world class events.
With the assistance of
many people, including journalists, athletes and Parliament, Marshall kept on pushing
to achieve this dream. His tenacity paid off as in 1983, the race was open to
all, including wheelchair participants. The story of the journey to get there
is what makes this book worth the time to read.
If one is looking to find out a lot of information about the event or
running itself, that won’t be found here.
Instead, the reader
will be treated to a story of failure, of ignorance and bigotry and finally of achievement. The obstacles Marshall faced in not only his
own country but also in the United States.
The stories about the lack of consideration by organizers of the New
York City Marathon for wheelchair athletes is startling, even for the standards
of the 1980’s. Particularly telling was
Marshall’s account of organizers including climbing curbs and short flights of
stairs on the original route – taken as a slap in the face to these athletes.
He didn’t fare much better back in England, but as I mentioned earlier, this is a story of perseverance and tenacity. Marshall would not give up the fight and his achievement here outshines any victory on the road. If a reader wants to pick up an inspiring story about an athlete, this is one that should be added.
I wish to thank Clink
Street Publishing for providing a copy of the book via Authoright in exchange
for an honest review.
Book Format Read:
E-book (EPUB)
Buying Links:
Tim Marshall was Diplomatic Editor and foreign correspondent for Sky News. With thirty years of experience in news, he left journalism to concentrate on writing and analysis.
Marshall is from Leeds. He didn’t study journalism, but started to work in newsroom nightshifts. Marshall worked as a IRN correspondent in Paris for three years, collaborating with BBC radio. After that he joined Sky News, reporting from Europe, US, and Asia. He became Middle East Correspondent based in Jerusalem. In the 1990s he was a field reporter, transmitting from Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia. More recently, he covered the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Syria.
Besides Sky News, he wrote for other national newspapers including the Guardian, the Times, the Daily Telegraph, and the Sunday Times.
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