– William “The Conqueror” France tries for record of oldest man in marathon

Three men stopped traffic on Saturday as they stood in the middle of the roadway in East Coast Demerara, Guyana, clutching their crutches to balance on their three legs. These men were appealing to the public for financial assistance as it is their aim to be part of the 2015 Boston Marathon.
This newspaper had the opportunity to speak to these men while they stood on the public road of Montrose to get the attention of commuters. Surprisingly, people were very supportive, as cars stopped to donate what little they could to the men’s hopes for an experience of a lifetime.
William France, a well known amputee, who thrives on giving back and fighting against enormous odds, was found to be the man behind the effort. France said that it costs a total of Gy$1.23 million for three amputees to go to the marathon. However, what they need at this point is Gy$184,000.
France had taken part in the Boston Marathon before, the last time being eight years ago. This time, he said he has a specific purpose as it will be his last time and he wants to be the oldest man in the world to compete in the marathon. He stated that winning is not a must but it would be great to hold that record. The oldest man currently holding the record for competing in the Boston Marathon is Dick Shoe, who was 56 years old when he last competed in the marathon. France is 58 years old.
France admits that he was a bad egg. He lost his leg as a result of stealing from Hamilton Green, who was the Prime Minister at the time. He elaborated on the incident, stating that he was shot eleven times about the body but managed to survive. He however lost his leg, but says he wears it as a badge of honour, as the loss of the leg taught him a lot about life.
