A KEALKIL man marked his 60th birthday by scaling 42 peaks in 24 hours to raise funds for a girl who lives with a rare genetic disease.
Ant Cornforth, who is from West Cork but lives in the UK, recently ran the gruelling Bob Graham Round in the English Lake District, which involves more than 106kms of fell running and a cumulative elevation gain of 8,200m.
He competed the epic challenge, which took 16 hours and 30 minutes, in order to raise awareness and money to try find a cure for his ill five-year-old family friend, Tallulah Moon Whitrod.
Her parents, Chris and Golden run the Genetic Cures for Kids (GC4K) charity, which they founded when their daughter Tallulah Moon suffered a severe regression from a rare neurodegenerative disease called SPG56, for which there is no cure.
Golden Whitrod said Ant’s generosity of spirit was already being matched by the generosity of his many supporters.
‘Through this effort, Ant has raised important awareness to a new cohort of mountain lovers and runners across Ireland and the UK and we are so grateful to see #TallulahsArmy grow.’
‘His determination to push beyond personal limits serves as an inspiring testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the boundless potential for positive change.’
Ant has commended the optimism and driver of the family, in particular Tallulah who, he said, tackles the disease with every ounce of her being in many hours of tailored therapies every week.
‘You would think that this devastating disease would cast a shadow over her future as it progresses, but there’s light in Tallulah Moon that everyone sees through her smiling eyes and her tenacity and courage against all the odds gives me strength to take on the Bob Graham Round,’ said Ant.
‘By rallying for G4CK, we have the power to make a difference in the lives of these children like Tallulah who are tackling SPG56 and until now, have no hope for a treatment.’
See ‘Milestone Mountain Mission’ on Facebook to donate.
