‘I’ve never seen him so happy’ - Brothers to take on Dublin Marathon together for Muscular Dystrophy Ireland

Adam Thornton (24) will be pushing his brother Tommie (18), who was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) at the age of two.

The progressive condition causes muscle weakening and loss of strength, but Tommie has never allowed it to define him.

This year, he will complete his first marathon with his brother Adam, who works as a radiation therapist in Dublin, by his side every step of the way.

“It’ll be my second marathon and Tommie’s first,” Adam said.

“We’ve been training for about three months now, and it’s been great. Once we got the chair, we were out every week trying to get as much road in as possible.”

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The idea was sparked last year, when Adam ran the Dublin Marathon alone.

Around the 30km mark, when Adam was coming into the toughest leg of the run, he saw another assisted wheelchair team making their way through the crowd.

“The energy around them was amazing,” he said. “I looked them up afterwards and thought, ‘I wonder if Tommie would be interested in doing that?’ He said he would, and here we are.”

Getting used to running with the Hippocampe sports wheelchair took some trial and error.

“At first, it was really tough,” Adam said. “I didn’t realise the wheels needed to be pumped up, so our first few runs were near impossible.

“Once we figured that out, it’s been smooth sailing, apart from going uphill which can be quite tough,” he added.

One of Adam’s best friends will be running alongside them for extra reassurance on the day.

Tommie, who is currently preparing for his Leaving Cert, has always found ways to stay active and involved in inclusive sports.

He swims twice a week, stretches every day, and has represented Ireland on the development squad for powerchair football, playing for his club M&F United.

“Tommie’s the most amazing person I’ve ever met,” Adam said. “He’s so proactive and positive. I’m very honoured to be his brother.”

"Tommie's always been positive and tried to stay as active as he can and take every single win he can get throughout his life.

"I've never seen him so amazed at just even the final 100 meters of the half-marathon, so we’re both really looking forward to doing the full thing and completing the purple mile together,” he added.

During this year’s Irish Life half-marathon, a photo was captured of Adam pushing Tommie across the finish line.

“Seeing the smile on his face genuinely brought tears to my eyes,” Adam said. “I’ve never seen him so happy.”

The brothers are running in aid of Muscular Dystrophy Ireland (MDI), a charity that has long supported their family.

“MDI actually provided the chair for us this year,” Adam said. “They’ve done incredible work, from running workshops to help people access the latest technology, to summer camps where people like Tommie can meet others with similar conditions.”

“I know crossing that finish line together will be one of the most amazing moments of our lives,” Adam said.

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