Philip White and Nathan Mollett reunite for London Marathon in aid of Wings for Life

Philip White, CEO of The Broker Hub, and Nathan Mollett, Managing Director – Asset Finance at United Trust Bank, are preparing to take on the 2027 TCS London Marathon together to raise funds for spinal cord injury charity Wings for Life.

The long-standing friends and former colleagues aim to raise at least £10,000, with more than half of their target already reached. For Philip, who sustained a life-changing spinal cord injury in 2019 and is a patron of the charity, the challenge has a deeply personal significance.

Their marathon partnership comes more than 25 years after they entered their first competitive running event together: the inaugural Nike Run London at Kew Gardens, alongside 10,000 other runners.

During around two decades working together, including at Syscap and Wesleyan, training became a regular part of their routine. Runs across Wimbledon Common, gym sessions, spinning and road cycling built a friendship that continued as their careers took different paths.

In January 2019, Philip fell from a five-foot stepladder while tidying his garage. A fragment of bone from his C5 vertebra damaged his spinal cord. Multiple operations and six months in hospital followed, leaving him paralysed from the neck down, with movement limited to shrugging his right shoulder.

Reflecting on the years since his injury, Philip said: “From that day until this I have worked hard with unquestionable self belief that the situation is temporary not permanent despite the prognosis and despite the immense challenge.”

His approach, he explained, is rooted in “belief and not hope”.

Meanwhile, Nathan has taken on an increasingly demanding series of endurance challenges, progressing from 10k runs to marathons, ultra-running, triathlons, Ironman events and the Marathon des Sables.

Now the pair are preparing for a challenge together once again. Philip plans to self-propel his wheelchair wherever practically possible, with Nathan providing support along the route.

Their familiar humour remains firmly intact. Philip joked that he would “ultimately take most of the glory with Nathan doing most of the hard work”, describing it as a role reversal from their years working together.

Nathan responded: “Still unsure if the benefit of having somewhere to put my gels is worth having to listen to you swear at me for 4 hrs…”

Behind the banter is a shared commitment to supporting research into spinal cord injury. Wings for Life funds scientific research and clinical studies worldwide with a single mission: to find a cure for spinal cord injury. With Red Bull covering the charity’s administrative costs, 100% of donations go directly to research.

Philip and Nathan are inviting friends, colleagues and the wider finance community to help them reach – and exceed – their £10,000 fundraising target.

As Philip put it: “Belief not just hope and with your help and support, together we will find a cure for paralysis.”

To support Philip and Nathan’s London Marathon challenge, donate through their fundraising page. Every donation will help fund research into spinal cord injury.