Jon Completes the Para Arch to Arc Challenge

A few weeks ago, Jon Cook achieved something incredible! Jon completed a Para Arch to Arc challenge. This involved hand cycling from Marbel Arch to Dover, a row in the English Channel and then a final hand cycle from Calaise to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

As an active sportsman and Football referee, everything changed for Jon in 2016, when at the age of 36, he was diagnosed with rare spinal tumours. After successful spinal surgery in Southampton, Jon spent three months at the National Spinal Injuries Centre, Stoke Mandeville Hospital to undertake intensive rehabilitation. Although the surgery and rehabilitation were successful, Jon was left a T6 incomplete paraplegic.

In 2017 Jon attended the Inter Spinal Unit Games, one of WheelPower’s flagship events, as part of the team from the National Spinal Injuries Centre, Stoke Mandeville. As a participant, Jon was able to try out and compete in approximately 20 different sports. Jon and his fellow teammates finished in joint second place in the overall standings and came runner up in the Para Tennis competition too.

With 2026 marking the ten-year anniversary of Jon’s diagnosis and surgery, he decided now was the perfect time to give back to the charities that supported him during and after his surgery and rehabilitation, those being, WheelPower, Spinal Injuries Association, Aspire and Dover Rowing Club.

Sat on a rowing machine at Dover Rowing Club, looking out across the channel towards the distant lights of France, the idea of rowing across the English Channel first entered Jon’s head. Some time later, whilst on social media he saw a story about somebody completing the Arch to Arc Triathlon and in that moment the Para Arch to Arc was born.

On the 14th August 2026 Jon got his challenge underway. Starting at Marble Arch, Jon hand cycled the 87 miles from London to Dover in just over 16 hours. Up next, the open water. Due to regulatory restrictions, you are unable to row across the English Channel. To counter this, Jon would row out into the English Channel and then return to Dover, making sure the required distance was met.

After getting into bed at 2am, Jon was up at 5am to get the English Channel row underway. Joined by his daughter Ella, two senior rowers and an experienced coxswain from Dover Rowing Club, the team left the harbour and began their row in the open sea. After completing the 33km row in about 3 hours and 20 minutes and hand cycling to just outside Boulogne, day two was over.

Day three saw Jon hand cycle a further 130km, hitting the halfway mark of the challenge, whilst also hitting the halfway mark to Paris. Unfortunately, due to the extreme heat on Friday and delays on the Ferry, Jon’s challenge went into a fourth day.

Finally on day four of the challenge, Jon made it to the Arc de Triomphe, completing his mammoth 290-mile challenge.

We would like to thank Jon and his entire team for their support and send our congratulations to Jon and his team on their fantastic achievement.