Joshua Reeves, a disability rights campaigner who lives at Lewis Martin Court in Cardiff, is channelling his inner Jedi as he takes on an interstellar sponsorship quest for a specialist education facility.
Joshua, who has cerebral palsy, took up the gauntlet of the 2.6 Challenge, launched for charities in lieu of the London Marathon, committing to watch all 11 movies in the Star Wars franchise in 26 hours. Beginning at TIME on “Star Wars Day” – May the fourth – 23-year-old Joshua undertook the 23.5-hour challenge, only stopping for comfort breaks and at mealtimes.
The money raised by the movie marathon will be donated to National Star College, a specialist education for people with disabilities, located in Gloucestershire, which Joshua attended from 2013-16.
On his challenge, Joshua said: “National Star helps students to learn, grow and helps them to become independent individuals. They truly helped me to become more independent during my time there.
“I am more confident with myself because of the charity. I have even learnt how to catch trains, buses and to go out in the community. They helped me see through diamond eyes; they focused on me, not my disability.
“They showed me that I can be as brave as Luke, as wise as Leia and as cool as Han, so, I would like to give something back in return.”
Joshua now lives at Lewis Martin Court, a residential care home with nursing for disabled adults who have a range of complex needs and learning difficulties. It focuses on supporting residents to build capacity and live as independently as possible.
