Six years ago, Joe Monte was at home in Herfordshire, England, watching television when he caught his first glimpse of Amanda McGrory. She was doing a postrace interview after becoming the women’s wheelchair champion at the London Marathon. Monte was immediately captivated by the Paralympic athlete’s “ridiculously happy energy,” so much so that he felt compelled to send her a congratulatory tweet.
“It was really just that one tweet about a band she liked that got us talking,” said Monte, who quickly bonded with McGrory over their shared taste in music. “Over the course of the next year, we spoke back and forth. Then, a week or so before the next London Marathon, Amanda suggested that we meet up.”
At the time, Monte was 25 years old and coping with a bout of severe anxiety and depression, which he had struggled with since his early teens. “I found it difficult to travel on my own so my world was pretty small,” the British groundskeeper said. “Trains were a problem for me after a bad experience when I was younger with a mugging that I couldn’t quite shake. So, meeting Amanda was the first time I traveled to London on a train by myself.”
Despite his apprehension, Monte decided to face his demons head-on so he could finally meet McGrory in person. “I was immediately struck by how genuine Joe is,” McGrory told Runner’s World last week. “I don’t usually make a habit of meeting random people who contact me online, but something about Joe led me to believe he was a kind and caring soul. I was not wrong.”
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The pair became fast friends, talking on the phone, traveling to music festivals together, and eventually bonding over their shared love of running. Despite an old foot injury, Monte registered for this year’s Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Advertisement - Continue Reading Below.
“I decided to put my body through this as kind of a thank you for her friendship,” Monte said last week before the race. “I feel like I owe it to her.”
On Sunday, McGrory started off the day strong, taking third in the women’s race in a time of 1:53:07. Monte crossed his own finish later in the day with a time of 4:15:26.
Although it was his first marathon, Monte wanted to properly prepare for the big day. The Brit has rigorously been training for months, alternating strength training with cross-training, stretching, foam rolling, yoga and, obviously, running. He also sought advice from a pro whenever he had questions.
“Distance running and wheelchair racing are a bit different, as is running a marathon with the goal of completing it versus the hope of finishing on the podium,” McGrory said. “I’ve done my best to pass along any valuable tidbits I’ve picked up along the way. We talked a lot about starting with shorter distances and working up to long runs. We also talked about proper nutrition and rest and how to prevent injury.”
Long-distance running has given Monte a newfound confidence in every aspect of his life. “I loved the focus it gave me to dedicate myself to something so demanding,” he said.
McGrory battled Tatyana McFadden, a five-time NYC Marathon champ and training partner, on Sunday, but both were bested by Manuela Schar of Switzerland, who won the women’s wheelchair race in 1:48:09.
While she was obviously happy to make the podium in New York, seeing her friend complete a huge goal may have felt even better.
