Paralysed Manchester bombing survivor to take part in 10k race
Martin Hibbert was paralysed in the Manchester bombing
A man who was left paralysed from the waist down after the Manchester Arena bombing is taking part in a 10k race, almost a year to the day of the attack. Martin Hibbert, from Greater Manchester, whose injuries were described as the equivalent of ‘being shot 22 times at point blank range’, suffered a T10 complete spinal injury when he was stood just 10 metres away from the bomb when it detonated.
But the 41-year-old football agent has defied the odds and will line up on the start line in Manchester city centre this month determined to finish the 10k distance in under an hour. He will take part in a racing wheelchair alongside former Paralympian Richie Powell and best friend Lee Freeman.
He said, “Anyone who knows me knows how determined I am. It’s going to be a huge challenge for me to use my arms to push myself around the course, but I will do it. Richie and Lee have been a huge support and have been at my side throughout the whole of my training and it will be a proud moment for me personally when we cross the finish line.
“With it being so close to the anniversary of the attack, I just had to come and take part in the Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run.
“I want to show the terrorists that they aren’t going to stop me doing anything and it has in fact made me even stronger and determined to prove them wrong”.
Martin hopes to walk again in the future and recently underwent pioneering treatment in Australia which saw him regain movement in his toes after just two days.
He has more treatment planned for later in the year, but in the meantime is focussed on setting up the Martin Hibbert Charity Foundation, to raise £1 million for the hospitals that saved his and his daughter’s life.
He said, “I wasn’t sure how much money I could raise, and then Richie suggested we go for £1 million in the first year.
“The money will go to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, Salford Royal and Southport Spinal Unit, because without them we wouldn’t be here.
“It’s a huge amount of money, but if I can raise that for them it would be incredible.”
Two of his friends, Lee and Katherine Kibble, have raised almost £20,000 for Martin by completing a series of challenges, and they will both be taking on the Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run with a team of 20 others.
He continued, “There are lots of people taking on the 10k to raise money and I’m so overwhelmed by the support I’ve received so far.
“Without this help the future would look very worrying and after going through what we’ve been through over the last 12 months, worrying about finances is the last thing I want to be wasting time and energy on.”
Martin will join runners of all ages and abilities on a route that passes his beloved Old Trafford, before finishing on Deansgate, in the heart of the city centre in front of thousands of cheering spectators.
The Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run will take place just two days before the anniversary of the attack, and a one minute’s silence will be observed as a mark of respect to the victims.
To support Martin’s fundraising, visit: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/themhcf
To enter the Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run, visit: www.greatrun.org/Manchester
Another Manchester bomb survivor, Hollie Booth from South Yorkshire, recently wowed judges on Britain's Got Talent by auditioning in the city. She took to the stage to perform with her friends who were wearing T-shirts with the Manchester Bee. They borrowed wheelchairs from the Red Cross in support of their brave friend and performed to a medley of songs which included Ariana Grande's hit 'One Last Time'.
Hollie was at the Ariana Grande gig last year with her mum Claire, who was also injured and her aunt Kelly Brewster, who sadly died in the incident.
22 people's lives were tragically cut short on 22nd May 2017. The victims were Alison Howe, Angelika Klis, Chloe Rutherford, Eilidh MacLeod, Elaine McIver, Georgina Callander, Jane Tweddle, John Atkinson, Liam Curry, Lisa Lees, Marcin Klis, Kelly Brewster, Megan Hurley, Michelle Kiss, Nell Jones, Olivia Campbell-Hardy, Saffie Roussos, Sorrell Leczkowski, Wendy Fawell, Courtney Boyle, Philip Tron and Martyn Hett.
As the one year anniversary of the events draw near our thoughts are with those affected.