Family and friends gathered to support a man as he took on a tough physical challenge.
David Brown, 61, set himself a goal of walking a mile along the Weymouth seafront to raise money for Cycling Without Age, a charity which aims to help older people get out and about by offering trishaw rides.
The journey was a challenge for David as he suffers from Huntington’s disease which has caused mobility and speech difficulties.
READ MORE: Man's sponsored walk in Weymouth for Cycling Without Age
Despite this, David continues to “live life to the full” and through the help of his support team at Altogether Care Weymouth, he has been able to participate in outdoor bike rides facilitated by Cycling Without Age.
David Brown, 61, with his son Ben 23 (Image: Lisa Matthews)
He was determined to give something back to the charity close to his heart and so, at 1.45pm on Tuesday, May 7 he set out on his fundraising walk from Greenhill Gardens finishing at Weymouth Pavilion.
Along the way, he was cheered on by friends and family, as well as strangers who were passing by.
He raised a total of £1,950 for Cycling Without Age from his walk with people also placing donations in buckets on the day.
David Brown with fundraising cheque accompanied by his brother Richard and son Ben (Image: Lisa Matthews)
The whole experience was very emotional for David as he felt “overwhelmed” by support, especially after being greeted by his twenty-three-year-old son Ben and his brother Richard who also suffers with Huntington's disease.
Lisa Matthews, activities coordinator at Altogether Care Weymouth, said: “We had some really nice surprises for David as his son turned up to support him as well as the team from Cycling Without Age.
“He got to pass the finishing line with a special banner in place and was presented with a certificate and a trophy. We also had a party for him at the care home afterwards.
David Brown completing his sponsored walk along Weymouth seafront (Image: Lisa Matthews)
“We were all so proud of him. It was an amazing experience for him and he wants to do another walk next year. He has been so overwhelmed and he enjoyed it so much.”
He was unable to be interviewed as he struggles with his speech, however Lisa shared a statement on his behalf.
His statement read: “It went really well and I want to thank everyone so much for their support and donating. I was very happy with how it went and it was an amazing day.”
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