On November 2nd, 2025, I'll be running the New York Marathon to honour the extraordinary life of my dear friend, Jonathan Bryan, and to continue his vital work through the Teach Us Too charity.

Jonathan passed away earlier this year at the age of 19. He was an incredible human with an amazing story, and I'm very lucky to have called him a friend. He was a poet, an author and a campaigner for profoundly disabled children.

Jonathan was born with cerebral palsy, which severely affected the control of his limbs and facial muscles needed for speech. Jonathan attended his local Special School with the label “Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities” (PMLD), where he was taught very basic letters and numbers with little or no progression from one year to the next.

Jonathan’s mother (also my godmother, Chantal) took him out of special school for a few hours a day to teach him to read and write at the age of 7. They started whole word reading, and basic phonics and progressed on to spelling out words and writing sentences. By the age of 9, Jonathan was using a spelling board to write and talk - he used his eyes to point and spell out everything he wanted to say and write on an alphabet board known as an E-Tran frame. His eyes became his voice.

In 2018, at the age of 12, Jonathan wrote his first book, Eye Can Write, which is the most marvellous read and a wonderful insight into Jonathan's incredible mind. This was also around the time that Jonathan established the charity Teach Us Too to promote and campaign for an education system that teaches all children literacy regardless of their label. This mission was born from Jonathan's own experiences and aims to unlock the potential in countless children.

Jonathan continued to write poetry and publish works. He was in his first year of studying Creative Writing at University when he passed away - though I'm sure he should have been the one giving the lectures. Jonathan wrote me a beautiful poem when I was competing at the Olympics, which I have up on the wall at home. Jonathan has been my biggest supporter from day 1, and it seems only fitting to continue to tell his story and promote the amazing work his charity does.

As I take on the challenge of the New York Marathon, I carry Jonathan's indomitable spirit with me. His unwavering determination, even in the face of immense adversity, is my inspiration to push through every mile. This run is dedicated to ensuring his legacy lives on and that Teach Us Too can continue its incredible work.

By supporting my marathon run, you'll be directly contributing to the vital work of Teach Us Too, helping them advocate for inclusive education and empower children to find their voice, just as Jonathan did. Every donation, big or small, makes a huge difference.

Check out Jonathan's Teach Us Too Campaign short film below:

https://youtu.be/HHgoOKM0-cE?si=fgxB1_yRGJbMkUjh

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.