A plumber who was once told he should do no more exercise than a brisk walk is running 100 miles non-stop through the Brecon Beacons to raise funds for his seven-year-old cousin, who lives in Brentwood and has a rare genetic disorder.
Alex Mackay, 30, who was once a pro-boxer, was told aged 19 that he could no longer practice the sport and should severely restrict his exercise when a medical found he had heart condition subaortic stenosis.
‘At that age you pay no attention to the doctor,’ Alex said, ‘so I started doing half marathons, then marathons, then ultramarathons and more. Now, at my yearly check up, the doctors say the issue is stable and should carry on doing what I’m doing.’
Alex’s cousin Albert Said, 7, from Brentwood, Essex has the extremely rare genetic disorder Pitt Hopkins Syndrome. He cannot crawl, walk or talk and relies on adults to meet all his daily needs.
Alex said: ‘My son Ollie is only three weeks younger than Albert and as they’ve grown, it’s heart-breaking to see the difference in their development. But it got me thinking about how frustrating it was when I couldn’t do what I wanted to do, and how much more severe this is for Albert.’
‘I’ve done lots of marathons and ultra-marathons, but this is my biggest challenge yet. I’m hoping to complete the 100-mile run which includes 20,000 ft of elevation in less than 30 hours.’
‘While I’ve always done them just for myself in the past, it made sense to try to raise some money for charity this time, and for a charity close to home.’
‘Albert’s parents Carly and Brad do so much for Albert, I want to do what I can to help.’
Albert’s mum Carly, 35, an office administrator said: ‘Albert will always need support from different therapists and rely on equipment to help him become as independent as possible. We have set our initial goal at £10,000, which may sound like a lot, but his annual physio sessions alone cost £4,420 each year, and costs are ongoing.’
Albert’s family is being supported by children’s charity Tree of Hope which helps families fundraise for children like Albert with healthcare needs and provides charity status to benefit from gift aid, corporate support while also providing donor reassurance.
Tree of Hope CEO Gill Gibb said: ‘We are delighted to be supporting the Said family with their fundraising and wish Alex all the best with his impressive challenge.’
To donate to Albert’s fund or sponsor Alex, visit https://www.treeofhope.org.uk/albert-said/ or https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Alex100mile
