'I'm racing against horses across Powys to support the charity that helped my disabled brother - but I don't expect to win!'
A Mid Wales farmer will be taking on the famous Man v Horse race in Llanwrtyd Wells to raise money for Hope House Children’s Hospice where his brother received care throughout his childhood.
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Will Davies, 26, who lives between the home farm in Howey and Llangurig, will be pulling on his running trainers and taking on the endurance race, where runners race horses through the Powys countryside, on Saturday, June 14.
He is doing it to raise money so that more families can receive care and support from Hope House, like his family has over the years.
“My brother Johnny used Hope House through his whole childhood, and it was huge for both him and my family," said Will.
“Johnny loved going there and was always smiling with the staff, while my parents were able to take a much-needed rest from giving the care he needed every day.”
Johnny, now 25, has the genetic disorder CDGS Type 1A, meaning he needed lots of care while he was growing up.
“There’s nothing else like Hope House for children around Mid Wales, and it can be quite isolating, so for our family to have the support and care while Johnny was young was invaluable,” said Will.
Johnny lives at home with his family in Howey and attends The National Star, a specialist college for those with disabilities.
“I just wanted to give something back to make sure families can have access to what we did at Hope House,” said Will.
“I just feel that I could have easily been in Johnny’s situation, so it’s important to me to use the privilege to pay back the people that have helped us as a family.
“I’ve been in training for this since January, running up and down the Mid Wales hills getting fit. It’s going to be tough, but it’ll all be worth it for the cause.
“Just finishing will be quite the achievement - I’m certainly not expecting to beat the horse!”
Fundraiser for Hope House Bekki Fardoe said: “It costs £10 million a year to run the services at our hospices, with no charge ever made to families for accessing our services.
“We can only be here for the children and families that need us thanks to the wonderful support of people like Will, who take on challenges like this to raise money.
“Good luck Will, we’ll all be cheering you on!”
You can sponsor Will by visiting justgiving.com/page/william-davies-1736594871562.
