A disabled seven-year-old girl from Wheathampstead is taking part in a marathon in her wheelchair to raise money for a disability charity.
Ayala Brookes, of Marford Road, will be pushed in her wheelchair at Brighton Marathon on Sunday, by four members of Chunc wheelchair manufacturers. She and her friend Kai, 12, who weigh 60K with their wheelchairs collectively, will be pushed a total of 26.2K to raise money for national disability charity Action For Kids.
Ayala’s mum, Nicole Cochrane, said: “I am super excited for Ayala to be part of such an iconic event where people of all ages and all abilities can get involved, unlike other marathons.
“A lot of charities and companies are just an application form or an appointment but both Action For Kids and Chunc are much more than that.
“They have been a huge part of our lives over the last few years and really supported Ayala and our family during times when we needed it the most.”
Both Ayala and Kai receive mobility equipment from Action For Kids, and Ayala has a Chunc wheelchair.
Chunc design manager Tom Suddaby said: “We love fundraising and raising awareness and want to show that these sports should be open to all, just like other opportunities in life, like education and work.
“Everyone in the team loves eating and drinking but we’ve been training for 14 months now and pushed Ayala and Kai 10k in the Parallel London event last September. It was brilliant to see them smiling so much.
“Before I worked at Chunc, I wasn’t aware of how many children need and rely on mobility equipment in the UK. It was a shock for me.”
Action For Kids CEO Graham Duncan said: “We cannot thank Tom and his team from Chunc plus Ayala and Kai and their families enough for getting involved and raising crucial funds.
“Every penny and pound raised means that Action For Kids can help more children and young people who are in desperate need of mobility equipment.
“Mobility aids can mean the difference between living life more like others their age or sitting by the sidelines excluded from society.”
To support Ayala and the Chunc team go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/chunc
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here