Sheikh Muhadin Sheikh is one of Get Kids Going!’s most talented young wheelchair-racers. Sheikh started wheelchair racing in just 2007- when he first tried the sport on the recommendation of his school teacher in East London. Like many of his fellow athletes, he confesses to a love of speed and says that David Weir, the five-time London Marathon winner, double Paralympic Gold Medallist, and Vice President of Get Kids Going!, is his role model.
This year has been Sheikh’s most successful yet. At the London Marathon in 2011, Sheikh won the wheelchair race 14-17 age category with a time of 12 minutes 30 seconds – meaning that Sheikh is approximately twice as quick as he was in 2009 when he completed the same distance in 25 minutes.
For Sheikh, this massive change is quite simple – it is “all because of Get Kids Going! and the new chair”.
Sheikh says that Get Kids Going! has “changed my life”.
“Before I had a really small chair…I had outgrown it. Get Kids Going! has helped me to set all of these new personal bests”
Sheikh has recently returned from the Swiss Open Championship where he won his heats in the 100m, 200m and 400m. He finished third in the 800m and helped the Great Britain Junior Team to fourth in the 4x400m relay.
Sheikh will be competing in a number of events in the near future, including the BUPA Great North Run – where many get Kids Going! supporters will also be doing their bit for the charity. To get a charity place for the Great North Run 2012 please follow this link
