Yahoo News Rugby legend joins 'Three Peaks of Golf' challenge to support Teesside dad fighting rare condition
A rugby legend is among a team of golf fanatics who will play three rounds in three different countries to support a Teesside grandfather fighting a rare condition.
The group is looking to raise £10,000 in the fight against motor neurone disease (MND). The event is called ‘The MND Drive for Dean’, in recognition of the work by Dean Fox, 54, from Middlesbrough.
A keen golfer, he set up the Dean Fox MND Foundation after being diagnosed with the disease in August last year, and set about raising awareness and funds for research and support groups involved with the devastating condition.
The 24-hour challenge has been dubbed the "Three Peaks of Golf”, and will see three teams of four take on the unique 54-hole sporting feat. It will start on Thursday, June 27, when the team members tee-off in Scotland at Lockerbie Golf Club. They will then drive to Wales overnight, before taking on 18 holes at Llangollen Golf Club’s testing course.
Then it’s on to England and the final leg – another full round at Preston Golf Club in Lancashire. There, the 12 players will be joined on the course by 18 more teams. Taking part in the feat, is Robbie Hunter-Paul. The first player to score a hat-trick of tries in a Challenge Cup final at Wembley, the former New Zealand international is now a BBC TV pundit, businessman and keen golfer.
However, it is Dean who is hoping to be able to hit the first drive in Scotland to begin the event, and possibly also tee-off in Preston. Dean, a father and grandfather, who worked as a business coach, trainer and mentor, said: “I’m grateful for all the support we’ve received and excited about the impact we can make through this fantastic event.
“MND is a tough opponent, but we believe that together, we can drive change. ‘The MND Drive for Dean’ is about rallying our community to stand united against this disease, raising funds, and spreading awareness.”
Dean and his wife Christine, have two sons and two grandsons. News of the MND diagnosis came on top of learning that he had cancer. MND (or ALS as it is also known) is a condition that affects the brain and the nerves, and results in the progressive loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles and progressively worsens over time. It has no cure, and can significantly shorten life expectancy, as only 10 per cent of those affected live beyond five years.
The challenge has been organised by businessmen Steven Logan, from Preston, and Ben Cooper, from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They will captain the teams, along with Dan Sumner, from Bolton, who is an executive in an insurance company.
They all know each other from their involvement in FORE Business, which organises networking events around games of golf. Steven said: “Having arranged other charity fundraising events, we wanted to put together an event that would be bigger and better than anything we’ve done before.
“As the ‘Three Peaks’ is already a ‘thing’, we got our heads together and thought we could adapt it to suit our passion – golf!
“It’s going to be an extremely tough 24 hours but everyone involved is committed to succeeding, both on the courses and in raising cash for such worthy causes.
“Dean is approaching his ‘challenge’ like he has everything that has happened in his life so far by taking all the positives from it, using his mindset daily to give it everything he has to fight for as long as possible. He is a true inspiration.”
Ben added: “What an amazing, unique challenge this is going to be and I’m incredibly proud be part of the ‘Drive for Dean’ team. My first thought was, ‘yes of course I’ll do it’, my second thought was, ‘how on earth will I be able to do it.’
“But then I thought about Dean, who is such a lovely person, and all who fight tirelessly against MND – it’s a humbling reminder of the importance of rallying together for a cause greater than ourselves.”
All the money raised will be split equally between the Dean Fox MND Foundation and MNDA. To donate visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/drive-for-dean-3-courses-3-countries-24-hours/donations.
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