Matthew, Chris & Richard will be running World’s Toughest Mudder a 24hr obstacle course race on the 28/06/2025 in aid of Footprints Conductive Education Centre and for Matthew's daughter Sophie who has been diagnosed with Rett syndrome which is genetic disorder that affects brain development, resulting in severe mental & physical disability.

At the beginning of 2025 our family received news that no parents ever wants to hear. Since Sophies birth and her spending 2 weeks in the neonatal unit myself and my wife Samantha have been back and forth with our now 3 year old daughter Sophie to the hospital and doctors and seeing over 15 different specialist, with her having an operation and genetic testing as well. At the beginning of this journey the doctors and professionals were not sure what we were looking at. Sophie has server global developmental delay, low muscle tone and a whole host of other ongoing medical issues.

In January 2025 we received the results of the genetic testing which we had waited for over a year. These results enabled the doctors to diagnose Sophie with Rett Syndrome.

Rett syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that affects brain development, resulting in severe mental and physical disability. It's estimated to affect around 1 in 10,000 girls born each year and is only rarely seen in boys. Almost all cases of Rett syndrome are caused by a mutation (a change in the DNA) in the MECP2 gene, which is found on the X chromosome (one of the sex chromosomes).The MECP2 gene contains instructions for producing a particular protein (MeCP2), which is needed for brain development. The gene abnormality prevents nerve cells in the brain from working properly. There's usually no family history of Rett syndrome, which means it's not passed on from one generation to the next. Almost all cases (over 99%) are spontaneous, with the mutation occurring randomly.

This condition means that Sophie will require lifelong care and support. She may never speak to us and she may never walk or do many other everyday activities. Her diagnosis has hit the whole family but we will fight for every bit of support we can get her to enable her to have a happy and fulfill full life. There are going to be ups and downs but her infectious smile and self determination get us through the rough times. Sophie is adored by the whole family especially her older brother Oliver. She brings joy into everyone’s day with her smile and happiness she gives off.

You’re wondering why we have chosen to support Footprints. Before Sophie had her diagnosis of Rett syndrome we had already enrolled her into conductive education classes at footprints. We attend these classes once a week down in Nottingham. These classes have helped her development immensely. Kirsten, Erika & and the rest of the team have been fantastic since day one of Sophie attending. Sophie amazes us every time she is there and what she achieves with their help. We know that Sophie could lose these skills going forward so we are grateful for all opportunities they give her to development the skills she has. Sophie attends classes at the centre and also attends hydrotherapy session that the charity organize as well. The sessions cost us £10 per slot but an actually session costs £162.39 to run and the numbers are small groups. There are a total of 3 children in Sophie’s group. So we feel raising money for them will go a long way to saying thank you and to ensure this support is available to many more children in the future.

So now comes what myself (Matt), my brother (Chris) and best friend (Richard) will be doing to raise some money for the charity. We shall be running WORLDS TOUGHEST MUDDER. This is a 24 hour obstacle course race which has no set distance. The aim is to do as many laps as possible. The laps are 5mile long and have 20 plus obstacles which will randomly open and close as time goes on. The obstacles range from upper body strength to mental strength, incorporating ice, electric, gas and many climbs, crawls and jumps. It’s going to be a fantastic event as it debuts in the UK as well as demanding both mentally and physically for us all but our pit crew who will be there to support us and knowing that we are doing it to raise money for such a worthy cause will keep us going.

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