Two Months to Go: Bee Takes on the Marathon for Whizz Kidz

Two months from today, 21‑year‑old Bee Wardman will be on the start line of her very first marathon - rolling every mile in her wheelchair to raise money for Whizz Kidz. After becoming a wheelchair user at 14 due to a genetic disorder and autoimmune conditions that affect her mobility, Bee has rebuilt her relationship with movement, adventure and sport in remarkable ways. Now a world‑champion WCMX athlete and passionate advocate for young disabled people, she’s taking on one of her biggest challenges yet: the marathon. And she’s doing it for a charity she wishes she’d had in her corner when she was first learning to navigate the world differently. Bee tells us her story.

I'm 21 and I have been a wheelchair user for about 5 years. I have a genetic disorder and some autoimmune conditions that significantly impact my mobility. Before I became disabled at 14, I loved to hike and run and explore the world around me, it felt like self expression.

When I became a wheelchair user it was hard to access equipment, funding and I didn't know that skills training existed, I had to relearn to access the world in my new way.

I wish that I'd had a charity like Whizz Kidz to help me acclimatise, adapt, and learn my needs.

Over the last few years, I've been a pretty active wheelchair user and really enjoyed sport. I love the adrenaline of fast downhills or drop ins when I skate (I do a sport called WCMX or Wheelchair Motocross and I am currently the women's world champ).

Mid 2024 however I developed malnutrition as a complication of my conditions and over the next few months I lost almost all the muscle mass I had worked so hard to build. I could barely push my wheelchair and I felt incredibly trapped. When I came out of hospital in March '25, having received treatment, I decided I was going to do anything I could to gain back my muscles and to support the charities who had meant so much to me.

In April last year I saw the Marathon and set my eyes on it. In May I decided I was going to roll 100 miles to support another charity close to my heart... I did it! It was then that I applied to do the marathon, I looked closely at a few charities who support young people like me and I decided on Whizz Kidz! I knew a few of the youth board members so I was familiar with their amazing work and the impact they had on kids like me (and children who I supported at Over The Wall Camp).

This will be my first marathon and I won't say there haven't been hurdles! In October I did the Chester Metric Marathon (26k) with little training, it was a fairly rolling course but I loved it! Unfortunately, I then experienced a setback with a shoulder injury - this has definitely been the biggest hurdle yet and I had to take a couple of months off training.

Fortunately, I was able to begin training again in late January and I dove in the deep end, starting with an 8k and then jumping to a 27k as my 2nd training run! I'm pleased to say it went really well and I feel enthused and ready to tackle the challenge!

I think my goal for the marathon is just for me (and my amazing dad who is running with me as a support runner) to make it across the line!

Fundraising wise I haven't been doing anything wild, I'd say that my biggest supporters would be my amazing Granny and all her friends who a lining up to support me in this journey. I'd also like to shout out all my friends for supporting me, encouraging me and sharing my story (even when they think I'm nuts for doing this!).

I really hope that when children in Whizz Kidz demographic see me doing this they will feel like they can push their boundaries and find freedom and fun in the world, even if it looks a bit different!

I'm so excited to cross the line and know that I've done my best not just for me but for all the young people out there like me who just need the correct equipment and support to thrive!

For race day:

• My running mantra is just "keep going, you've done harder so you can do this.
• My song would probably be Requiem from Dear Evan Hansen, or just the whole soundtrack to be honest.
• My post treat race will be a chocolate bar, a cocktail and a hug from the people I love
• I think marathon day will feel buzzing, supportive and (I will feel) determined