“I was told I’d never be able to walk again - now I’m running the Leeds 10K”

Ismail Patel is a “Yorkshire born and bred” lad who will be running the 15^th Leeds 10K on Sunday 3^rd July using a walking stick. After he suffered an almost fatal brain haemorrhage in 2009, Ismail has worked hard to regain his health and mobility. Since 2018, he has been running at many events and doing all he can to inspire others and change how disabilities are perceived in Yorkshire and beyond.

Ismail had a brain haemorrhage when he was just 24, which left him in a coma for 18 days. When he woke up, he was completely paralysed. “I was told that I’d never walk or talk again,” he recounts. However, he worked hard to regain his mobility. “At first I was bed bound, then I used a wheelchair, then a walking stick, which I still use now,” he explains.

As Ismail slowly recovered and gained back his strength, he started exercising regularly and “the gym really inspired me to take on more.” His friend Keith encouraged him to run a 10K with him. Although he was hesitant, he decided to go for it.

After finding that he absolutely loved it, Ismail began signing up for 10K races in Leeds, Sheffield, York, Bradford, and more. In the past year, he’s also been doing events in parts of the UK beyond Yorkshire. He has now taken on 26 races: “It’s all about being consistent,” he says.

Ismail’s favourite thing about running is smashing all expectations for his recovery. “I was told I’d never do this, or I’d never do that, but it makes you forget what people, and the doctors, said all those years ago.”

Ismail also says he’s “found a real passion for inspiring people”, which motivates him to keep moving forward. He loves receiving social media messages from people he’s met at events who have been inspired by his story and resilience.

If he was to give any advice to someone with a disability looking to get into running, he encourages them to try to find their confidence. He acknowledges that this isn’t always easy, but that getting more comfortable and confident using his walking stick has made a big difference to his experience.

Through running events, Ismail has raised money for several charities, including Downs and Special Friends. This is a charity that empowers disabled children in the local community, a mission that’s highly important to him. He's also helped raise money to build wells in countries overseas and provide aid to the people of Palestine.

Being a “local lad from Batley”, Ismail loves taking part in running events in his home county of Yorkshire. Ismail recalls the Leeds 10K in 2018 as “my best ever race” – he especially enjoyed the supportive atmosphere, the emotional spectators on the sidelines, and all the inspiring stories he heard.

We’re so pleased that that he’ll be taking it on all over again and celebrating our 15 year anniversary with us in July! If you’d like to join Ismail at the Leeds 10K, click here to sign up.