Mattie and his best mate Chris are running the length of Hadrian's Wall (that's 74 miles!) on June 14th to support Playskill, a charity that has given him and his family so much help over the last 18 months. Mattie's son Arthur and his twin were born on 5th September 2023 and so far he has had over 43 admissions to multiple different hospitals, undergone multiple surgeries, more testing, hospital and doctors appointments then you can imagine but he shows more strength then most.

So far he has been diagnosed with multiple genetic conditions and has very limited eyesight. He has been fed via an NG tube since he was 3 weeks old through his nose and in February he had a feeding PEG inserted into his stomach and hopefully he can move onto a blended diet soon, we are unsure if he will ever independently walk, feed himself or even sit up without support.

Mattie and Chris have a target of £20,000 and they have already raised £10,000 in 3 weeks. You can help by donating on their fundraising page here

For more podcasts head to https://www.sapphirerunningzone.com/podcasts. We have four channels, one on training support, another on fundraising, a third on runner stories and a fourth on events. If you'd to be the focus on one just let us know using the chat function on https://www.sapphirerunningzone.com

PODCAST NOTES

• Matthew's son has faced numerous health challenges since birth.
• The family has been supported by a local charity, Playskill.
• Matthew is fundraising by running a challenging distance to help others.
• He aims to raise £20,000 for the charity.
• Community support has been crucial in their journey.
• Social media has played a key role in their fundraising efforts.
• Matthew's background in sports has prepared him for the challenge.
• The importance of resilience and positivity in tough times.
• Matthew emphasises the need for awareness about children's health issues.
• The journey has strengthened family bonds and community ties.

• Running for a Cause: Matthew's Inspiring Journey
• Facing Challenges: A Father's Story of Resilience

• "Incredible story to tell us."
• "He's had multiple surgeries."
• "I want to try and get to 20,000."
• "They're doing an amazing job."