Meet Justin, a teacher from Devon running the London Marathon for Contact
2 mins read
Wednesday 8 April 2026
A primary school teacher from Cranbrook in Devon is taking on this year’s London Marathon to raise vital funds for disability charity Contact, which supports families with disabled children across the UK.
39-year-old Justin Martin from Cranbrook chose to run for Contact on Sunday 26 April after benefitting from the charity’s specialist advice and support for families like his who live with Hemiplegia – a condition, caused by a brain injury, that results in weakness, stiffness and lack of control in one side of the body.
Contact run HemiHelp – the UK’s only condition-specific programme dedicated to supporting families whose children have Hemiplegia. The service offers a wide range of resources, tools and guidance designed to improve the wellbeing, knowledge, skills and confidence of parent carers, helping them provide the best possible care for their children.
Justin says: “My son has Hemiplegia and my family have previously used Contact’s website and HemiHelp information, support and advice. I am honoured to be running for a charity that supports families like mine. I understand more than most the challenges that come with raising a disabled child, and I would love to give something back to this amazing charity who help families when they need it most.
“I have also worked with countless disabled children in my 15 years of teaching, and it would be great if everyone who needs it could benefit from the support Contact provides.”
We wish Justin the very best of luck. His efforts will help us continue providing life-changing support to families who need it most.
You can support Justin’s marathon run by visiting his official fundraising page.