A 19-year-old Down’s syndrome runner who set a world record at the London Marathon has said ‘anything is possible’ after years of being turned away by sports clubs.
Lloyd Martin, who completed the gruelling 26.2-mile course across the capital with only five months of training, has encouraged others to chase their dreams after making sporting history on Sunday.
The teenager from Hampshire, who was rejected by sports clubs in his younger years, was awarded a certificate from Guinness World Records after crossing the finish line.
Upon completing the marathon Lloyd became the youngest person in his learning disability category to finish a marathon.
‘Always have your dreams be with you. Be yourself and always live and dream. You can actually learn to run if you want to,’ Lloyd told Good Morning Britain.
Lloyd Martin, 19, has said ‘anything is possible’ after breaking a world record at the London Marathon on Sunday (pictured: Lloyd and his mother Ceri)
The 19-eary-old has become the youngest person in his learning disability category to complete a marathon
‘It is not about the timing, its about having your friends and your family backs for them and having fun with them.’
Describing her son as ‘remarkable’, Ceri Burnell from Cardiff added: ‘It just proves it is possible to do anything and follow your dreams. If you want to do something just go out there and do it.’
However Lloyd’s sporting journey hasn’t been an easy path as his mother, who coached him in the run-up to for the London Marathon revealed the athlete was often rejected from all abilities sports clubs when he was a child.
‘We spent the first few years of his life fighting to get into clubs and we were often turned away,’ Ceri told MailOnline.
‘As a baby the acceptance seemed to be there but as he started getting older and wanting to join gymnastic and football clubs and other things, I would be told he needed a one-to-one.
‘Even when I offered to stay with him it was ‘oh well we don’t allow parents to stay.’.’
She continued: ‘It was just a slap in the face every time. Especially when as the mum you know how capable he is.
Eventually the world record breaker enrolled into a sports club at the age of eight, but Ceri never felt he was ‘truly accepted’.
However his sporting journey hasn’t been plain, as his mother Ceri revealed to MailOnline that she had to fight for years to get him accepted into sports clubs (pictured: Ceri and Lloyd as a child)
‘It was just a slap in the face every time. Especially when as the mum you know how capable he is,’ she said (pictured: Lloyd as a child)
‘I felt it was just you know ‘oh well you know he can just sit on the side and not do a lot’, so I used to sit and struggle watching that.’
Now, she hopes her son’s phenomenal achievement will break down more barriers for people with Down’s syndrome as well as the wider learning difficulties community.
‘For years people with Down’s syndrome were basically shoved away not to be seen and not to be heard,’ she tearfully shared
‘I hope that he [Lloyd] has proved that anything is possible follow your dreams and just go out there do it
Reflecting on her son’s sporting journey, she said: ‘It was tough to constantly fight but we are changing those stereotypes and inclusivity now is far greater than when he was growing up.
‘Hopefully the word is out there now. You have to accept our kids and give them the best chance ever – because it is possible. They can do these things.’
She added: ‘They may take a bit longer, but they can achieve whatever they want to.’
Representing Stepping Stones and Special Olympics GB, Lloyd made history when he crossed the finish line of the world famous marathon.
‘I literally burst into tears. I was emotional and I think Lloyd was as well and we just hugged and kissed. It was such a nice special moment,’ his mother said.
Ceri, who has represented Wales in track and cross-country races since she was a teenager, was determined to make Lloyd marathon ready in only five months.
Eventually at the age of eight Lloyd was accepted into a sports club, but Ceri felt he was never ‘truly accepted’ (pictured: Lloyd partaking in athletics as a child)
Ceri, who has ran the London Marathon four times herself, hopes her son’s achievement will break down stereotypes further and encourage others to follow their dreams (left to right: Lloyd’s brother Finlay, Ceri and Lloyd)
Prior to taking on the huge feat of the London marathon, Lloyd had already completed an astonishing 40 Parkruns.
However, with only five months to go to the staggering 26-mile run, the teenager had never run further than three miles until around Christmas time.
‘I was just ever so proud. I doesn’t actually seem real. This has happened in four months – from doing a park run in December to to finish in a marathon.
She added: ‘It’s just absolutely incredible.’
The London Marathon was the first time Lloyd had run more than 18 miles in one go, according to Ceri.
Although there was some walking after Lloyd’s 14-mile-long streak, the crowd were firmly behind Lloyd cheering him along every step of the way.
‘He would dip a little but as soon as the support was there he was just off again,’ she said.
‘I think I got him around the first half and the supporter got him around the second.
The mother and son duo, who had only been training for five months in the run-up to the marathon, burst into tears after crossing the finish line
Praising the crowd for their support, the mother-of-two said Lloyd was doing cartwheels and breakdancing whilst completing the epic feat
‘He was playing for the crowd so every time it went a bit quiet he would just get them all going and all calling his name.’
She continued: ‘He was just breakdancing, doing cartwheels on the Embankment and just having a whale of a time.’
‘I think he loved the fact the had his five minutes or six hours of fame. He just felt special.’
Even though the challenge was arduous, the mother-and-son duo had ‘a ball’ according to Ceri.
Lloyd is also now the third Welsh Special Olympics athlete to compete at the London Marathon.
Ceri, who has taken on the London Marathon four times and has also raced across the pond in Boston and Chicago, created a specialised training regime for her son which included lengthy weekly runs.
Explaining how Lloyd would run three times a week whilst also attending football and gymnastics, Ceri said: ‘I never tried to do the the same route twice, because he would know then exactly how long it was going to be.’
Lloyd may not be taking on another marathon soon – but he is hoping to bag another gold at the Disability Artistic British Championships this September
When asked if Lloyd would be taking another gruelling marathon on anytime soon, his mother said: ‘I’m not gonna ask him about another Marathon yet.
I think he’d like to get his park run time quicker and also he’s got the British Gymnastics competition in Cardiff this September.’
The Special Olympics GB aided the young athlete in getting a spot in the world-famous race.
Lloyd is also a footballer and a gold-medal gymnast and is hoping to walk away with more medals in this years Disability Artistic British Championships in Cardiff.
