Our London Marathon runner this year is Chris Peck, who has been on quite the journey recently. In his own words:
“I am proud to be the Island Games London Marathon runner ... since being diagnosed with bowel cancer in July 2018 fitness has had to be fitted in around treatments, but has been an important aspect of my recovery, both mentally and physically. I still have another operation due on the 3rd of January but hope to be back running within 4 weeks and start on those longer runs ready for London.”
Best of luck today, Chris - and we look forward to seeing you back out training soon!
If you’d like to sponsor Chris, please use this link
Team Isle of Wight ended the 2019 Island Games with 34 medals – eight more than two years ago – after a brilliant final day in Gibraltar.
Two golds, three silver and four bronze medals were won by the Isle of Wight, who finished ninth in the overall medal table.
Charlie Metcalfe became the first ever Island woman to win the half-marathon, helping the ladies’ team, which included Laura Brackley and Rosie Sexton, to a silver medal.
Metcalfe said: “I was so elated. It was amazing and I’m so happy.
“It was a tough race, I stayed close to the front two and I tried to keep it sensible.
“I was able to pick it up and I couldn’t believe that I was in front.
“We’re all so happy to win team silver too, what a great race for us.”
Richard Clifton won gold in the IPSC standard pistol and a bronze with Ian Grimes in the team event.
Also in rifle shooting, Dom Cowen won silver in the 50m prone, with Andy Whittall took bronze.
Team Isle of Wight won three table tennis bronze medals in the men’s singles, doiubles and mixed doubles.
The team’s flag carrier in the opening ceremony, Dan Burns, won his 13th Island Games medal playing alongside George Downing in the men’s doubles.
Downing also won bronze in the men’s singles and silver in the mixed doubles with Temeesha Hobbs.
The closing ceremony will be held tonight (Friday).
The penultimate day at the 2019 Island Games ended in dramatic style for Team Isle of Wight.
Four medals – a silver and three bronze – were all won last night (Thursday), to follow another silver won by Perron Phipps in air pistol shooting earlier in the day.
In the pool, Abi Lacey swam a new PB to take silver in the 100m individual medley.
Megan King swam her fastest time to win bronze in the 50m backstroke, before the ladies’ team won bronze in the 4 x 100m medley relay.
The Island agonisingly thought they had missed out before they were awarded bronze when the Faroe Islands were disqualified.
In athletics, Bridget Fryer won bronze in discus and on the track.
Swim coach Val Gard said: “It has been an amazing week.
“The medals have been wonderful but we’ve also had loads of personal best swims too.
“Our swimmers have really worked hard, not just over the last six months but over several years.
“To see them get rewarded for that is just fantastic.”
There was also success in table tennis, where the Isle of Wight played their way into medal-winning matches in the men’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles.
The Isle of Wight’s squash team also has a chance of winning a bronze medal today (Friday).
Elsewhere, the Island has medal hopes in athletics, rifle shooting, clay shooting and this morning’s half marathon.
