Ed's Incredible Feat
28-year-old former Wish Recipient, and inspiration, Ed, has recently achieved a major milestone, long after his wish was granted in 2010.
The Impact of a Wish
When reminiscing on his wish, Ed said "It has given me memories that will stay with me forever, and we often talk about it in our sessions… There’s always something new that I talk about with Dad to keep the memory alive."
Inspiring Fundraising Effort
On September 17, 2023, Ed laced up his running shoes and set out to achieve a goal he set himself 3 years ago - to complete a fun run, whilst raising funds for Make-A-Wish. When asked why he chose Make-A-Wish as his charity of choice, Ed said that he wanted to give back for what Make-A-Wish had done for him. He wanted to "give other kids a chance to smile and have their dreams come true, like they did for me."
The Lumary City-Bay Fun Run had the privilege of hosting Ed, who prior to 2023, was focusing purely on improvement and maintenance. Ed is living with Cerebral Palsy, and works alongside his exercise therapist, physio, and occupational therapist multiple times a week - "Training has given me the confidence to push myself harder in my personal life too."
Before the Race
As of January 2023, Ed's maximum walking distance was approx. 1km. Between January and September of 2023, Ed achieved an amazing feat of maxing out at 3km, which he successfully completed on race day, with the support of his supportive family and team.
In preparation for his race, Ed ran into multiple challenges - none of which wavered his confidence (as we later found out, Ed never gets nervous!). He experienced multiple injuries, surgeries, and regular check-ups throughout his training period.
The Day of the Fun Run
On race day, Ed realised that training indoors did not prepare him for the external factors of a race like this - it was a warm, sunny day in SA - but nonetheless, Ed overcame every obstacle in his way, and smashed his goal!
His favourite part of the running journey was the "adrenaline and excitement" - he was over the moon to know that all of his hard work was worthwhile! Most importantly, Ed was able to cross the finish line to the song "We Are the Champions", with his family and friends cheering his name.
When asked what kept him going through his run, Ed said the only thing he was focused on was crossing the finish line - "I knew I could do it, and when I saw my family and friends there, I was even more motivated!"
The Next Challenge
What's even more impressive, is at the start of his running journey, Ed set out to raise $3,000 for Make-A-Wish. Even after the race had finished, Ed was still seeing donations come through. Ed was "quiet, really shocked, but most importantly grateful!" Ed closed his fundraising tally out at $3,400 - well done Ed!
After seeing Ed's development across this 3-year journey, it's no surprise that he has already set out for his next challenge - to run 6km next year! In his words, "We've got to start training ASAP!"
