Two-year-old Arlo from Colchester has gathered a group of superheroes to take on the Winter Wonderwheels, part of the Superhero Series, on behalf of Variety, the Children’s Charity.
Arlo was born with bilateral cataracts and now has no lenses in his eyes due to the necessary surgery. With his glasses, he has approximately 2 metres of vision and no peripheral vision.
Arlo is used to sporting events, having taken part in over 100 park runs with his mum, Amber. Arlo has once again taken on a Superhero challenge with the At Home Winter Wonderwheels alongside his parkrun group. The challenge sees participants set their own target distance to travel in any way they wish, whether that is running, walking, wheeling, cycling, or swimming.
Winter Wonderwheels is part of the Superhero Series which was founded by Paralympian Sophia Warner in 2016 to give everyone the chance to participate in sporting events with no access restrictions or cutoff times. The 2023 Superhero Tri – a fully inclusive triathlon designed for people with disabilities – was aired on My4 earlier this summer, and was presented by comedian and disability advocate Adam Hills MBE, British wheelchair basketball player Amy Conroy, and sports reporter, DJ, and journalist Jordan Jarrett-Bryan.
Arlo completed the Superhero Tri this August with his mum, Amber Fox-Hammond, his dad, Chris McNeill, and his uncle, Toby Fox-Hammond. The team raised money for Variety, the Children’s Charity, who provide practical support to disabled and disadvantaged children and young people. They provide grants for wheelchairs, specialist equipment, experiences on Variety Great Days Out, and fully accessible transport in the form of their Variety Sunshine Coaches.
Arlo was joined by mum Amber, and Nanny Suzi, Arlo’s sisters Alyssa and Rosena, their cousin Esmae, Arlo’s friend Evie, her mum Hannah, and family friend Angela. The super team took on a 5K run. In their last 2K, they were joined by 110 children from Colchester Junior Park Run. The superheroes and sidekicks raised a grand total of £275 for Variety, the Children’s Charity, which will be used to help disabled and disadvantaged children throughout the UK.
Each child received a medal and there were plenty of sweets at the finish line for all the participants and supporters.
Arlo’s mum, Amber, said, “Why are we supporting Variety, the Children’s Charity? It’s simple – this charity is amazing! They provide practical support that makes an immediate difference to disabled and disadvantaged youngsters, allowing them to live their best lives and reach their full potential.”
Challenge Events and Community Partnerships Officer, Sarah Phillips, attended from Variety, the Children’s Charity. She said, “We’re so proud to have Arlo and his family as part of Team Variety! Thank you so much to everyone who took part and supported us. Inclusivity is at the heart of everything we do at Variety, the Children’s Charity, and we’re thrilled to be able to spread that message far and wide by participating in accessible events like the Superhero Tri and Wonderwheels.
“We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Arlo, Amber, and the rest of the super team for such incredible fundraising efforts. It means the world to us to have such amazing support to help us improve the lives of disabled and disadvantaged children throughout the UK.”
