Healthy Strides Move-a-thon raises vital funds for Telethon

Ben McDonough’s parents were told he would always need a wheelchair, but on Sunday, he zoomed around a track while strapped into his walking frame to raise funds for Telethon.

The 11-year-old was among 125 children who participated in the second year of Move-a-thon, a fun run for children with physical disabilities.

Kids did as many laps as they could in 30 minutes — spurred on by pumping music, supporters waving signs reading “go, go, go”, “keep moving”, and “you’re almost there” — with medals handed out at the end.

The event, held near Optus Stadium, attracted more than double the number of children who took part last year and raised seven times as much.

“It’s amazing what he can do in his walker,” Ben’s mother Andree said. “He shouldn’t be able to do all the things he can do.”

Ben, who lives with quadriplegic cerebral palsy, does intensive therapy sessions at Victoria Park’s Healthy Strides Foundation.

The not-for-profit organisation uses an Australia-first program to help children with neurological conditions and injuries take steps independently with the aid of a computer-controlled body harness called the Stride ZeroG, donated by Mineral Resources.

Event organizer and inspirational physiotherapist Dayna Pool — who re-mortgaged her own house to start the foundation — declared the Move-a-thon “an absolute triumph.”

“It was brilliant to see some kids, who only just learnt to walk really recently, walking today,” she said. “I heard parents say, ‘a year ago, we thought we wanted to be involved, but we didn’t know if we could’ — and here they are. It’s pretty amazing.”

With the help of key sponsor Mineral Resources, which kicked in $5000, the event raised $37,000 for Telethon.

Company Secretary Jenna Mazza said MinRes was proud to help Telethon and Healthy Strides bring the life-changing Stride ZeroG therapy to WA, which helps kids learn to walk without the fear of falling.

“It’s incredible to now see these determined and motivated children with neurological conditions build their confidence one step at a time,” she said.

A number of West Coast Eagles were also at the event to work with the inspiring kids.

Telethon’s annual weekend extravaganza will be held on October 19 and 20 this year.