Toby Richardson
Toby's Story
In June of 2021, Toby’s world was turned upside down. Initially complaining of backache, he was referred for physiotherapy.
Toby loved sports, especially rugby, playing in his local Under 11s team, so aches and bruises were nothing unusual.
However, a couple of weeks later, Toby struggled to stand, his condition rapidly deteriorated and within a short time, had completely lost control of his lower body and was rushed to Great Western Hospital in Swindon.
An emergency MRI scan revealed a previously undetected tumour, which had developed in and around Toby’s spinal cord and spanned two-thirds the length of his spine, he was immediately blue-lighted to the John Radcliffe Hospital for specialist attention where surgeons took the decision to perform emergency surgery.
This involved removing sections of vertebrae from Toby’s spine to relieve the pressure on the spinal cord. After the grueling
8-hour operation, they removed 70% of the tumour but felt that the remaining 30% was too risky to touch.
After the operation, Toby spent 3 months’ rehabilitation in hospital and has defied the original long-term prognosis that he would never regain the use of his legs.
Toby’s determination and mental courage combined with excellent care from his family and hospital staff saw him gradually rebuild his strength, everyone in his neuro, rehab teams and family were absolutely blown away when he took his first steps.
All concerned were incredibly moved by his positive mental attitude and mind set.
As soon as Toby arrived back home, he immediately started searching to see what sports were best suited to him. As he had previously played rugby the obvious choice to start with was wheelchair rugby, he then joined his local club which folded and now plays competitively for the Solent Sharks and is also in the team GB youth development program.
He then received a zoom call from Nathan Maguire, the world-renowned British wheelchair racer who has won multiple medals at both the 2018 and 2021 World Para Athletic, European Championships, and has also won 400 mixed class races at multiple British Athletics Champion ships. Whilst chatting, Nathan showed Toby some of his gold medals, that zoom call truly changed Toby’s life as it drove him to take up the sport himself, he has since raced and competed in regular local competitions and now holds 2 junior gold medals for Wiltshire in both the 100m and 200m wheelchair races.
His main goal is to compete at the next Commonwealth games.
He is registered with the Avon Youth League and is trained by a professional Para coach who is aiming to take Toby to the next level.
Toby was using a club owned race training wheelchair constructed from metal which because of its weight and design affects his ability to reach his potential top speeds.
**Toby’s long-term aspiration is to become part of the GB Paralympian Team and participate in racing wheelchair events around the world, to help him achieve his aims we have agreed to help fund a Top Eliminator NRG Racing Wheelchair which is Top End’s fastest, lightest, stiffest, and most responsive ride available designed for elite racers seeking to be at the top of the podium. A carbon fibre main frame provides increased tensile and yield strength, giving racers a smooth ride and controlled handling while the 200-gram full carbon fork features an aerodynamic design that flows into the headtube, creating clean lines for a sleek appearance. A tailored and fitted hybrid cage gives athletes the ability to fine tune their positioning, so they can optimize their power.
* Toby now has his Eliminator NRG Racing Wheelchair, with thanks to The Geoff & Fiona Squire Foundation**
Toby with his Trophy for player of the match .... Well done Toby!
Congratulations to @rtoby2431 who is now Welsh Champion in 100m and 400m wheelchair sprints.
We are so proud of you and it's well deserved.
Toby has been accepted on to the Welsh athletics performance pathway to represent Wales as part of team GB.
Toby’s decision to go with Wales is that they have offered him better support, structure and leadership compared to England.
In addition, It is also possible that on condition that Toby makes it to the next stage, which we all believe that that there is no doubt that he will, they will begin to help finace him if he gets podium in championship events.
Toby shared his great news on his Instagram.
Please follow this link to the Welsh athletics where you will find his name on the pathway
https://www.welshathletics.org/en/page/national-development-programme1
Toby now has his own website at www.tobyrichardson.uk
On behalf of Toby and his family, we thank you for all your support this year and we look forward to next season, it's going to be an amazing one!
Toby’s Latest Race Update March 2025
Despite only being four weeks into his recovery from illness, Toby was determined to take on today’s 10K race in Nantwich—and he absolutely smashed it!
He was the youngest wheelchair racer in the event and placed an incredible 3rd.
This was Toby’s first-ever 10K, and while nerves got the better of him at times—causing him to be sick three times—he pushed through. On the third occasion, paramedics briefly stopped him for a breather, but he was determined to continue and finished strong.
Nerves are part of the journey, and with each race, he’s building confidence and resilience.
March 2025
Toby in his t-shirt with all the logos on, It looks fantastic!
First race of the season is this Sunday. Toby is the only wheelchair racer in this race at his home ground in Yate so it will be a good tester for timings after all the hard winter training.
Toby is getting ready to jet off to Portugal next Tuesday with the Welsh squad then straight in to London mini marathon!
Listen to Toby
on the radio
Toby’s Latest Race Update March 2025
Despite only being four weeks into his recovery from illness, Toby was determined to take on today’s 10K race in Nantwich—and he absolutely smashed it!
He was the youngest wheelchair racer in the event and placed an incredible 3rd.
This was Toby’s first-ever 10K, and while nerves got the better of him at times—causing him to be sick three times—he pushed through. On the third occasion, paramedics briefly stopped him for a breather, but he was determined to continue and finished strong.
Nerves are part of the journey, and with each race, he’s building confidence and resilience.
Toby’s Latest Race Update June 2025
Wow, what a weekend in Cardiff Toby has had.
3 gold medals, 1 PB , Welsh National Championship title!
His official title is Welsh Nation Champion in 100m, 200m and 1500m
Toby has smashed his 1500m time this weekend with a new PB of 3.58.34. This is only 1 minute away from achieving Paralympic bronze, and it's only the 3rd one he has ever raced!
Its been very hot this weekend in Cardiff so to smash off 0.20 on a 1500m is absolutely amazing and we are very proud.
Toby’s Latest Race Update July 2025
Toby had a fantastic day in Coventry yesterday for Activity Alliance Championship.
Although the wind was very strong Toby still gave it his all!
2 golds and 1 silver.
Toby also received an award for outstanding male of the competition. Toby was very shocked and humbled that he was chosen.
It just goes to show the type of athlete he is becoming, and we are so very proud!
We have races coming in in Stoke Mandeville on 19th then we are back in Switzerland for a training camp with one of the best athletes in the world, Marcel Hug.
Toby’s Latest Race Update August 2025
Toby has a fantastic time at Marcel Hug Swiss Bullet Camp.
He has learned new techniques, improved his starting position, and even gained a new PB in the 100m with a time of 16.04.
Although it won't go on the power of 10 as it was just a friendly race it just shows you that he can still perform and improve.
At the end of the camp, they had 3 races, 100m, 400m and 800m. Toby placed 1st in every single race!
He has met some of the world's greatest racers and worked with the world's best coaches and it's an experience he would like to repeat next year.
He has also made some new friends!
Helped friends achieve their goals and even helped one new friend to qualify for India World Championships, she was absolutely over the moon!
Even though toby is only on his second year of racing, he has been accepted into this community and has helped others to get where they need to be without thinking about himself.
It's a true testament to him and how he will go above and beyond to help others.
He is a truly inspiring!
2025
Toby’s 2025 season began in Portugal with Team Wales, where he participated in warm-weather training alongside elite Welsh coaches. This experience proved invaluable. Not only did Toby grow significantly as an athlete, but he also developed as a young person, forming strong friendships within the squad. Many of his teammates are throwers and continue unsuccessfully! to try to persuade him to switch disciplines. Although Toby gave throwing a try last season, his passion clearly lies in wheelchair racing, where he continues to thrive.
In April, Toby represented the Welsh Athletics squad at the London Mini Marathon. This year he raced with remarkable maturity and tactical awareness, drafting behind another athlete for much of the race to conserve energy. This strategy paid off perfectly, allowing him to sprint clear at the finish and take first place. Toby was awarded a medal, a winner’s trophy, and prizes from New Balance, sponsors of the London Marathon. He was crowned the U17 T53/54 Male Wheelchair Racing Champion 2025, an unforgettable moment for our family.
Shortly afterwards, Toby was invited to race in Vienna, where Track Night Vienna had recently introduced wheelchair racing to its programme. Competing in the 1500m for only the second time in his two-year racing career, Toby finished second, missing first place by just one-thousandth of a second. It was an incredibly close and exciting race.
One of the most emotional moments of the season came when Toby lined up alongside Nathan Maguire, his idol and one of the world’s greatest wheelchair racers. To see Toby racing shoulder-to-shoulder with someone he has long admired was an immensely proud and emotional experience for us all.
Toby was also invited to Switzerland to attend a training camp with Marcel Hug and his coaching team. Training alongside one of the greatest athletes in the sport was an extraordinary opportunity. Toby learned a great deal, formed new friendships, and even supported another athlete, Anica, by pacing her to achieve a qualifying time for the World Championships in New Delhi. For an athlete still early in his career, this willingness to support others speaks volumes about Toby’s character.
Throughout the year, Toby competed internationally in Switzerland, Belgium, and Vienna. While in Switzerland, he gained his international classification, enabling him to compete globally. Alongside this, Toby has continued to work with a personal trainer twice a week to build strength and conditioning to support his racing performance.
None of this would have been possible without your generous support. The costs associated with international competition, classification, training camps, and specialist coaching are significant, and without your help, these opportunities would simply not have been accessible to Toby. We are deeply grateful for everything you made possible during the 2025 season and sincerely hope you will consider continuing your support into 2026.
Looking ahead, 2026 is set to be a pivotal year for Toby, both academically and athletically. He will be sitting his GCSEs and hopes to progress to college to study physiotherapy, with the long-term aim of working within Oxford hospitals, giving back to the teams who supported him during his rehabilitation following surgery in June 2021.
On the track, Toby is hoping to be selected once again for the London Mini Marathon, the European Championships in Birmingham in August, the National School Games in September (often described as a junior Commonwealth Games), and the London Diamond League. He will also compete in the English and Welsh National Championships, where he will be defending titles he has held for the past two years, alongside a number of local competitions.
Our greatest ambition for 2026 is Toby’s hope of being selected for Team GB in October. His times are already close, and with the dedication and hard work he is putting in over the winter, we remain hopeful, while fully understanding that final selection rests with British Athletics.
