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Father of son with muscle-wasting condition attempts cycling world record for MDUK

31 May 2022

Scott Mitchell hopes to raise £100,000 for MDUK by cycling through every county in England in only eight days

Scott, a 44-year-old mechanical designer from Kendal in Cumbria, is taking on a world-record cycling attempt to raise money for MDUK.

Starting in Cornwall, he will pedal his way through 48 counties in England, totaling 1,100 miles over eight days, before reaching his finish line in Newcastle.

Scott is determined to complete the challenge for his 21-year-old son, Alex, who lives with Becker muscular dystrophy. First diagnosed when he was 14-years-old, there is currently no cure for Becker muscular dystrophy.

“For Alex, the basics are hard: getting out of bed, getting from room to room, being able to go literally anywhere that has a step to get in. Alex can only walk a few yards. This has a vast effect on every aspect of life. The money raised from this challenge will go into finding and (hopefully) implementing a cure. To be able to see Alex simply get up and walk would be amazing,” said Scott.

To help him complete the challenge, Scott is looking for willing participants to join him for part of the journey.

“More than anything, I need the world to see what I’m doing, why I’m doing it, and to spread the word. I’m looking for people to join me on a day-to-day basis, not only to help with the fundraising, but to share the journey and help be a part of the world record attempt,”

“I’m really hoping I can get a campervan or motorhome hire company involved as well, so I have a base every night, as well as a support vehicle.”

Scott has been an avid fundraiser for MDUK ever since Alex’s diagnosis, contributing to fundraising events that have raised over £90,000 to date. Last year Scott took part in the Duchenne Research Relay to fundraise for Muscular Dystrophy UK. He has also completed The Lakes Tour with a friend, a cycle challenge that incorporated the 4 outer compass points of Cumbria and the highest pass, in 2018. On top of that, he’s completed a Quadrathlon, the Equinox 24, the London Marathon and more, in aid of Muscular Dystrophy UK.

Susanne Driffield, Regional Development Manager-North of England & East Midlands at Muscular Dystrophy UK, said: “Scott is one of our veteran fundraisers and he is an absolute machine! We wish him so much success with another grueling physical challenge. He’s already raised so much for our charity and we can’t thank him enough. The vital donations will help us to make a difference to people living with muscle wasting conditions.”

Scott is documenting his record-breaking attempt with weekly videos on his Cycle Nation YouTube channel as well as on his Facebook page. 

Help Scott complete his challenge to beat muscle wasting conditions by supporting his fundraiser here.

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