After months of intense training and strength conditioning, Paralympian and Digicel brand ambassador Alphanso Cunningham is preparing for another big test — to break his own record in the wheelchair race at the Digicel 5K this Saturday.

“I try to break a record every year,” said the special needs ambassador. Cunningham, who competes with the Jamaica Paralympic team, says he wants to empower “more people like me” to come out and participate in the annual Digicel Night Run, Walk, Wheel and Fun Run event.

Whether they are people with special needs living in an institution or they are at home, he said he would like them to be more confident and not be afraid to get out and join in. “I would like to break that mindset,” he said, describing a feeling of anxiety which people with special needs get when participating in public events.

With his gold medals proudly secured at the Paralympic Games, the World Championship,s and the ParaPan American Games, Cunningham has broken his own world record twice at the 2015 World Championships in Lyon, France. His previous accomplishments include winning gold in the javelin at the London 2012 Paralympics; winning gold in discus throw and bronze in javelin throw at the 2015 Parapan American Games in Toronto. These accomplishments earned him the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Sports in 2004.

Ready to go faster

“Alphanso has been training very hard,” says his manager and Coach Neville Sinclair. “Although the Digicel 5K Run is always fun – and it’s for a good cause – he is also serious about his time. He can go a lot faster!” Noting that the Digicel ambassador is highly motivated, his coach says that he will be an inspiration for other wheelchair competitors, who vie to match the Paralympian’s speed.

Currently employed as an Orthopedic Technician, Cunningham loves playing basketball. The loving father of one daughter, he is also a strong advocate for accessibility on public transportation and in public buildings, especially his favourite fast food restaurant — KFC!

People can catch a glimpse of the speedster during the Digicel 5K at the Digicel Global Headquarters on 14 Ocean Boulevard in downtown Kingston at 7:00 pm this Saturday. With over 12,000 entrants last year, the Digicel 5K raised $10 million; eight special needs organisations benefited from the proceeds raised. The Digicel 5K is made possible with the support of Running Events Jamaica, Main Event, Consumer Brands, Pepsi, SportsMax, Dairy Industries, Express Fitness, Honey Bun, Jamaica Producers, National Outdoor Advertisers, Trend Media, and the Urban Development Corporation.