One of our architects, Matthew Fraser-Betts, has done himself proud by not only running 151 miles in August but coming third in a 1.5K open water swimming race, and all to fundraise for the worthy charity, the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

Motor Neurone Disease (MND) affects nerves known as motor neurones, which are found in a person’s brain and spinal cord, and help tell the muscles what to do. With MND, the messages from the motor neurones gradually stop reaching the muscles, thereby affecting movement through muscle weakening, stiffening and wasting, along with a variety of symptoms.

MND is life shortening for which there is no cure and sadly one of Matts longest and closest friends is currently fighting this horrendously cruel condition, which has ravaged him from good sporting health to a fragile skeletal frame, whilst his mind is as sharp as ever.

Matt decided to set himself a challenge to run 60 miles in the month of August and finish with his first open water swim race; the Ocean Walker Warrior Lake Race, to raise money for the charity. Well, he did it in style, by smashing his self-imposed target and covering 151 miles, then swimming his heart out to achieve a podium place. His lovely wife Esther bravely took to the water for her own race later in the day.

Matt’s a keen runner and open water swimmer but this was his first watery race which he also did without a wetsuit!!! Courageous man! He loved it so much, he has vowed to come back next year and try to inch his way up the podium for second place!

We are all very proud of his achievement, if you would like to support him, here’s the link to his fund raising page: https://socialsync.app/fundraiser/cr-1495dyw7llz1v?currentTab=fundraising

By HSSP Architects