Athlete with Autism to Make History as Ironman

Sam Holness wearing an “Autism is my superpower” shirt

Being an athlete is a rigorous process that requires training in some cases to better perform. Running marathons is no exception as many across the world strive to be the fastest in competitive marathons and races. One man, who spoke with Manchester Evening News, plans to show people with autism and the world that nothing is impossible if you set your mind on it. 

Sam Holness, 29, of Kingston, London has been training as a runner to one day become one of the first triathletes who openly shares that they have autism to complete an Ironman Tournament. These tournaments consist of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112-mile bike and a full marathon. 

As a part of his training, Holness plans to participate in the Greater Manchester Marathon this weekend, April 2, which also is World Autism Awareness Day. As noted by Manchester Evening News, he views his efforts as a way to raise autism awareness and to inspire others who have autism to chase their dreams. His goal is to complete the Manchester Marathon within three hours which, based on prior results, would put him in the top 3% of competitors. There are around 130,000 participants in this year's Manchester Marathon. In June, he plans to fly to Frankfurt for the full Ironman event. 

Holness has always been involved in active sports and exercise. He even studied at St. Mary's University focusing on Sports Science with special attention to managing autism in sport. His dream of being a professional sportsperson began in 2019 and ever since then his father Tony Holness has served as a coach for him, as noted by Manchester Evening News. Holness trains about 24 hours per week and was recognized as one of top 100 most influential people with disabilities in the United Kingdom.

Follow Sam Holness on Instagram to follow him through his journey of racing and working to inspire others with autism.