Two marathons. Two days. More than 84 km. Freedom One Life ambassador Isaac Harvey shares why he is taking on the Berlin Double, what it will demand from him physically and mentally, and why the challenge means so much more than crossing the finish line.
I have made some questionable decisions in the name of adventure over the years. Agreeing to do two marathons in one weekend might be somewhere near the top of the list.
The last few months have been a roller coaster for me. Challenges with support at home, financial pressures and other things outside of my control have taken a lot out of me mentally. Somewhere in the middle of all of that, my friend Kevin and I are preparing to cover just over 84 km across two days in Berlin.
As a Freedom One Life ambassador, I have spent a lot of time thinking about freedom, independence and what becomes possible with the right support around you. This challenge is going to test that in a very different way.
Taking on the Berlin Double
We are taking on the Berlin Double. On Saturday, Kevin will be on skates pushing me in a manual sports wheelchair for the Berlin Inline Skating Marathon. Then on Sunday, we will head back out and complete the running marathon.
I have been part of Wheels and Wheelchairs for years, an inclusive group that brings wheelchair users and skaters together. Berlin has become a big part of that journey for me, and last year Kevin and I completed the skating marathon in 1 hour 59 minutes and 20 seconds.
Usually, crossing that finish line would mean celebrating and giving my body some time to recover. This year, another 42.195 km will be waiting for us the next morning. That is the part I cannot predict. I have scoliosis and deal with pain from sitting for long periods. The manual chair I use for skating does the job we need it to do, but it does not give me the same positioning and comfort options I have become used to in my Freedom One Life Series 5. Training alone has already left me in quite a bit of pain, so I genuinely do not know how my body will react to doing it all again the following day.
With everything else happening recently, I am not sure the reality of what we are about to do has fully settled in mentally either. Maybe arriving in Berlin and getting to that start line will finally make it real.
We also spoke to Guinness World Records because we believe we could be the first wheelchair user and pusher duo to complete an inline skating marathon and a running marathon in the same weekend. Unfortunately, Guinness does not recognise being the first as a record because there needs to be something measurable that somebody else can beat. We were disappointed and slightly confused, but ultimately it does not change why we are doing it.
For Kevin and me, this is about showcasing inclusion in sport and what can happen when wheelchair users and skaters take part together. Wheels and Wheelchairs has allowed me to experience sport in a way that works for me, alongside people who have become good friends. Whether Guinness recognises it or not, that is what we want this challenge to bring more awareness to.
Going further with the Series 5 electric wheelchair
That idea of having the right opportunities around me is also something I have noticed since getting my Series 5. It has given me more confidence to go further, including recently completing a 30 km trail along the Kent coast with the Disabled Adventurer. It was something we had wanted to do for years and simply had not been possible for me before.
At the same time, having the right wheelchair does not make everything else easy. The challenges I have faced at home recently have reminded me of that. There can be exciting things happening in one part of life while another part feels incredibly difficult. Maybe that is partly why Berlin feels important right now. I am mentally tired, training has already tested my body and I genuinely do not know how I am going to feel when Sunday morning arrives. But Kevin and I are going to give it everything we can.
On Saturday, when we cross that first finish line, it will only be half the story. Then we wake up and do it all over again.
Support Isaac and Kevin
If you would like to support our Berlin Double and help us bring more awareness to inclusion in sport, you can find out more and support us here:
