A Bishop’s Waltham man was one of 26 support walkers to accompany Phil Packer on his Virgin London Marathon ‘26’ challenge on Sunday (25 April). Greg Vincent, 19, walked mile 13 across London’s famous Tower Bridge landmark with Phil to support national charity Epilepsy Action.
Phil suffered serious spinal injuries in 2008 while serving in the British Armed Forces. He completed the 26.2 mile Virgin London Marathon in 26 hours for 26 charities. Phil aims to inspire young people living with disabilities and encourage them to reach their potential. He walked each mile with a different support walker between the ages of 16 and 25, who were nominated by each charity.
Greg won a nationwide competition held by Epilepsy Action to find an inspirational young person with epilepsy to represent the charity. Greg, who has epilepsy and cerebral palsy, walked his mile to raise awareness of epilepsy, a neurological condition that is often over-looked and misunderstood. He was joined by his parents, Kim and Julian, and his sister Rachel, 21.
Greg, who attends Eastleigh College, developed epilepsy when he was a baby. He also has cerebral palsy in his left leg and left arm. He usually has an epileptic seizure every two to three weeks.
Greg said: “I had a fantastic time walking mile 13 with Phil Packer. The atmosphere was amazing. Phil is such an inspiration and I was honoured to walk with him to raise awareness of epilepsy.”
Philippa Cartwright, fundraising events manager at Epilepsy Action, said: “We are thrilled and honoured that Phil and Greg walked a mile to support Epilepsy Action. Their mile together was a fantastic way to raise awareness of epilepsy. The atmosphere as we walked across Tower Bridge was electric and we’d like to thank everyone who beeped their car horns, cheered us on and donated!”
You can still sponsor Greg, Phil and Epilepsy Action by visiting www.epilepsy.org.uk/philpacker