Darren Kennish has trained for the marathon in a hospital wheelchair
In April, Darren Kennish from Andreas will become the first ever Manxman to enter the London wheelchair marathon.
The 26-mile event, one of the most high profile wheelchair events in Britain, will take place on 21 April.
Mr Kennish, 40, has been training on the island's roads for almost a year and finally feels confident of success.
He said: "I have been training in a really heavy hospital wheelchair so I should be able to bring my time down when I get into the racing chair.
"I was lucky enough to get the backing of a local firm after I mentioned on Facebook that I was going to enter - they invested in the chair because they believed in me, so now all I have to do is prove them right."
More than nine years ago Mr Kennish began to experience severe back pain which was later diagnosed as a disintegrating disc disease and osteoarthritis of the spine.
The condition meant that, without warning, the father-of-five could fall over with a temporary paralysis and not be able to get up, sometimes for periods of up to ten minutes.
"I could be out walking in the garden and it would just come on and I would hit the deck," he said.
'Big inspiration'
"My wife would always tell people just to leave me alone and let me get back up on my own, after a few minutes I would be able to find my feet and stand up again."
The condition worsened until four years ago Mr Kennish fell over and lost the feeling in one of his legs.
"We were going shopping, I went down and that was it - I was carried in the house and I haven't felt my right leg ever since," he said.
"The doctors said if the feeling doesn't return within five years then it probably won't come back again, it's been four-and-a-half years now.
"They said I could get my leg amputated but I prefer it to be left there, just in case the feeling ever does come back but I am not hopeful about that anymore - I kept the faith about it for a long time but now I don't."
After the trauma of losing the use of his right leg, Mr Kennish joined the Northern Athletics club on the Isle of Man in an effort to keep busy and active, a move which has proved to be inspirational.
"Just watching other people pushing themselves to the limit has made me want to do the same, I just kept thinking, if these kids can do it then so can I."
Last year the wheelchair race at the London marathon was won by Great Britain's David Weir in a record-equalling sixth time of 1:32:26.
"Weir has been a big inspiration to me," added the Manx athlete.
"I am hoping to get a time of about two hours, I know it's ambitious but that's what I am aiming for.
"When I cross that finish line there is only one face I want to see, my wife's - it's going to be quite emotional I think."
