Down's Syndrome Awareness Week: Proud Dad Embarks On Fitness Challenge For 'Awesome' Toddler

The dad wants to celebrate all people with Down's syndrome.

A determined dad has set himself a week-long fitness challenge to raise money for two Down's syndrome charities.

Tim Heyes, from Cardiff, is dad to Austin, five, and Laurie, three, who has Down's syndrome 

He has set himself the challenge of running five half marathons, cycling 121km and mountain biking 21 miles, from Sunday 20 to Saturday 26 March, for his daughter.

"I want to celebrate people with Down’s syndrome while at the same time promoting awareness and raising money for two exceptional causes," Heyes wrote on his donation page

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TimHeyes/JustGiving
Tim Heyes with his wife Hannah and two children Laurie and Austin

"It is a time to celebrate the incredible amount of awesome our daughter, Laurie, has brought to our family, friends and pretty much everyone she meets," Heyes continued.

"That’s not to say that her brother, Austin, doesn’t do exactly the same – it’s just a different type of awesome.

"But they’re not different because Laurie has Down’s Syndrome, they’re different because they are not the same person."

Heyes has kicked off his challenge with the five half marathons, beginning in Yeovil

He is raising money for the South East Wales Down’s Syndrome Support Group and also the Down’s Syndrome Association for their awareness week focused on #MyFriendsMyCommunity.

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Laurie Heyes, her brother Austin and her two cousins Gwenan and Mari

Laurie, her brother Austin and her two cousins Gwenan and Mari were filmed as part of Down's Syndrome Association's video project for the awareness week.

Laughing together on the sofa, the four of them proved that having fun, being outside and eating ice cream together made Laurie so happy.

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DSA

The charity is profiling different stories of children and adults with Down’s syndrome throughout the week.

For more information on Down’s Syndrome Awareness Week, visit DSA’s website.  

To donate to Heyes fundraising challenge, visit his JustGiving page. You can follow his journey throughout the week on his fundraising website