Member Article

Guidant Global’s Stephen Salmon becomes a Guinness World Records holder

Guidant Global are delighted to announce that Stephen Salmon, a Senior Marketing Executive in the company’s Centre of Excellence, Talent Marketing team, has earned a place in the Guinness World Records books.

Stephen’s finishing time of 3 hours 18 minutes and 15 seconds at the 2021 London Marathon has been officially recognised as the new Guinness World Records time for the fastest marathon in a non-racing wheelchair.

Stephen’s record-breaking effort raised more than £10,200 for Whizz-Kidz, the UK’s leading charity for young wheelchair users which works for a society in which every young wheelchair user is mobile, enabled and included.

Stephen became a wheelchair user in 2008, when he developed spastic paraparesis following a neurological infection while serving as a Royal Engineer in the British Army. In a blog post for the Guidant Global jobs site, Stephen said:

“Completing the London Marathon has been a long-term goal of mine, even before becoming a wheelchair user. Finally accomplishing this goal means a great deal to me. Now that I’ve done it, I’m able to close a chapter that has been 13 years in the making and start a new one.”

In an interview with Guinness World Records, Stephen said achieving the record was “the ‘icing on the cake’ of a fantastic experience and symbolic achievement in re-writing what I had thought was possible for me as a wheelchair user 13 years before.”

Alexa Bradbury, Guidant Global’s Global Director of Marketing, said:

“Just nine days before he was due to take part, Stephen was advised to withdraw after losing 75% of the grip strength in my left hand. To then complete the course in a record-breaking time is just incredible – but unsurprising to those who know him.

“Stephen brings this same determination to his job, and has been the driving force in our journey to Disability Confident Leader status - and in our recent Recruitment Industry Disability Initiative Award win. He’s an asset to the business and we’re fortunate to have him.

“Stephen is at the forefront of our diversity and inclusion strategy and is determined to break barriers and help educate others on disability inclusion best practice. He is proof that having a disability is not a barrier to achieving your personal and professional goals, whatever they may be. From all of us at Team Guidant, congratulations Stephen!”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Guidant Global .