A disabled veteran from the Isle of Man is aiming to be the first wheelchair user from the island to complete the London Marathon next April.

Mike Ryan, from Onchan, was accepted into the marathon through the disability ballot, and will look to complete the gruelling 26.2 miles after months of training.

‘I had pneumonia when I found out I’d been successful in the ballot, so it was a difficult time,’ Mike said.

‘I’m not the most emotional guy, but it was a very emotional moment. I’ve wanted to do the marathon since I was in my twenties, which is over half of my life.’

Mike served in the Royal Engineers throughout the 1990s and was deployed to a number of locations across Europe including Germany and Northern Ireland during his time in the forces.

During his service, he suffered multiple fractures to his legs which has left him needing the use of a wheelchair to get around.

Mike also suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and was referred to the National Sports Centre (NSC) gym in Douglas through the Mental Health Service’s ‘ACTIV4HEALTH’ referral scheme.

His desire to complete the marathon next April has been fueled by the fact that he could become the first wheelchair user from the Isle of Man to complete all 26.2 miles.

Manxie Darren Kennish took on the marathon in a wheelchair back in 2013 but only managed to complete 11 miles due to cramp.

Mike added: ‘Knowing I could be the first to complete it gives me a bit more motivation to train on days that I might not want to.

‘Before my days are up, I would love to see somebody else from the island in a wheelchair do a marathon, and it would be amazing if that was anything to do with me.

‘I don’t look like an athlete and I have a belly on me! If somebody can look at that and think “if he can do it, I can do it”, that would be great.’

The upcoming challenge of taking on one of the most famous marathons in the world is not the first time Mike has challenged himself in his wheelchair.

Back in June, he completed the equivalent of the Parish Walk in the NSC gym using a hand crank machine, raising a total of £819 for the local charity ‘Bridge The Gap’.

Since completing the challenge, Mike has suffered with a shoulder injury, which means he is taking a cautious approach towards his marathon training.

‘I don’t want to aggravate the injury at the moment,’ he said.

‘I’m hoping it settles down a bit, but even in my current condition I still think I could finish the marathon.

‘I’ve never quit any competition I’ve attempted, and I won't let the island or myself down.

‘It’s been a dream of mine for over 30 years and I will finish it, even if my arms fall off.’