Newcastle, England - Andrew Graham, or "Drew" as others like to call him, is from Newcastle, England. He is an ASU alumnus, competing from 2009 to 2013, and a four-time NCAA Division II Track and Field champion as well as a member of the 2008 National Championship Team for Cross Country. He also ran the 1500 meters in 3:40.00. In 2014, Drew tragically suffered a spinal injury that paralyzed him from the chest down, ending his ability and putting Drew in a wheelchair full-time.
Some athletes might have let an injury like that derail them or drive them to quit, but for Drew, it was the opposite. He stayed determined, continued to stay as active as possible, and decided to help others.
After his injury in 2014, he went on to create Gym Possible, a charity designed to help others with physical disabilities continue to exercise. Even though Drew was paralyzed, his love for running never changed, and that's why he was determined to complete the AJ Bell Great North Run again.
Having already run the Great North Run once, Drew had a goal for his second attempt. Though he would have to complete the race in his wheelchair, he wasn't going it alone. Team Run With Drew—composed of six good friends and former elite athletes—gathered to help him run the race by pushing his wheelchair. The Great North Run is no easy feat, spanning 13.1 miles.
The race, just like life, came with ups and downs, but Drew and his team prevailed. During the race, two of Drew's wheelchair wheels popped off and had to be fixed. Due to the rain, the tape keeping his legs confined to the wheelchair kept coming undone. Despite these challenges, Drew and his team pushed through to the finish line in a stunning time of 1:26:08. Following behind Drew and his team were fellow Gym Possible members Sam Beecroft and Abbie Potts, who finished the race together in 2:23:00.
In an interview with the BBC, Drew said, "In my 20 years of running before my accident, I can't remember feeling a buzz like that experience. That day was all about raising money for charity and enjoying the run, but we are runners, and we couldn't help ourselves. Last year, we were hampered by the heat and ran 2:01:00, but this year, we were determined to run in under 90 minutes. I couldn't believe it when we crossed the line in 86 minutes. I am so thankful and proud."
Members of Team Run With Drew included Mathew Nicholson, Ryan McLeod, Matt Bond, Alexander John Smith, Nick Hooker, and Drew's brother, Johnathan Graham.
Today, Drew continues to race with Team Run With Drew and manages a fully wheelchair-accessible gym in Gateshead that has state-of-the-art equipment designed to make exercise accessible.
