Brothers Matt and Jonathan Conolly have raised more than £7,200 for Spinal Research after completing a gruelling five marathons in five days.
The brothers pushed themselves to the limit to raise awareness and money for spinal cord injury repair after a close friend was paralysed from the waist down in a devastating motorbike injury.
Zimbabwean born Matt and Jonathan, known as Jono, finished their epic endurance challenge at Painswick Cricket Club, near Stroud, where a crowd of family, friends and supporters gathered to cheer them over the line.
Matt, 27, an agricultural recycling manager from Newent, Gloucestershire, said: “What happened to our friend Teak opened our eyes to what people with spinal cord injuries face every single day and made us want to do something meaningful to help.
“It was really brutal at times but when things got tough we just thought about him and all the other people who can’t run. This challenge was about hope, purpose, and movement and our motto is every step for someone who can’t.”
Every two hours someone in the UK is paralysed after suffering a spinal cord injury. It can happen to anyone at any time with devastating, life-changing consequences.
Matt and Jono started their FiveinFive Challenge in Brighton and then completed further marathons on consecutive days in Cirencester, two in London, before finishing their exhausting 131-mile fundraiser at Painswick Cricket Club.
“It was really tough – especially on Day 4 – but the support we’ve received everywhere, including in Zimbabwe, has been incredible and we couldn’t be more grateful.
“The bodies are sore and tired but this is all about raising awareness around the impact of a spinal cord injury and raising as much money as we can to support research towards a cure.”
The brothers are also running next year’s London Marathon for Spinal Research, the UK’s leading charity funding new treatments and therapies into spinal cord repair.
Suzanne Redding, the charity’s Head of Audience and Community, said: “Wow! We are blown away by what Matt and Jono have achieved and what they are continuing to do for Spinal Research.
“This is a crucial and exciting time in the journey to restore functions, movement and hope which are all so cruelly taken by spinal cord injuries.
“Today, for the first time, we are seeing treatments coming through which will truly change lives and every penny raised by Matt and Jono will help us get these to paralysed people as quickly as possible.”
To support Jono and Matt go to their JustGiving Page: http://bit.ly/49CFujn
