On July 12th 2026, I’ll be taking on an Ironman, one of the toughest endurance challenges in the world to raise funds for a cause very close to my heart: Ruban’s Wish to Walk.

Ruban is honestly one of the most incredible boys I know. He’s full of happiness, has an amazing sense of humour, and carries a genuinely loving heart. If you met him, you’d never guess the challenges he faces every single day. He doesn’t let them define him.

An Ironman is not just a race. It’s a full-distance triathlon completed in a single day:

3.8 km (2.4 miles) - Swim

180km (112 mile) - Cycle

42.2km (26.2 mile) - run

Just to mention, when I decided to do this:

-I could barely swim 50m freestyle

-The last bicycle i rode 10 years ago, i snapped the chain

-When i did my first 3KM run, i honestly questioned my sanity and why I have signed up.

For most people, finishing an Ironman is a life-changing achievement. For me, it has been a dream of mine for many years But for Ruban, the simple act of standing up and walking is the real Ironman challenge.

Meet Ruban.

Ruban is a brave and determined young boy living with an extremely rare genetic condition called Syndromic Microphthalmia Type-12—so rare that only a handful of cases have ever been recorded worldwide.

His condition affects his brain, vision, muscle control, and development, and has led to a complex combination of medical challenges, including:

-Blindness in one eye and 50% vision in the other

-Brain abnormalities affecting balance and coordination

-Chiari malformation causing painful pressure headaches

-A four-limb motor disorder similar to severe cerebral palsy

-High and mixed muscle tone affecting movement

-Global developmental delay

-Swallowing difficulties and choking risk

Because of these conditions, Ruban cannot walk independently and faces daily pain, fatigue, and physical challenges that most children never experience.

He has already undergone:

-Brain decompression surgery

-Multiple eye procedures

-Soft-tissue surgeries on his legs

-Ongoing MRI scans, injections, and intensive therapies

Despite everything, Ruban continues to smile, fight, and inspire everyone around him.

His Wish

Ruban’s family are raising funds for intensive physiotherapy, specialist treatments, and equipment that could give him the chance to:

-Stand independently

-Walk beside his parents

-Play with friends

-Live with less pain and more freedom

With the right therapy and support, there is real hope that Ruban could learn to walk, something many of us take for granted every day.