Triathlete Cameron Main wants your help to get to the moon to honour what would’ve been his sister Abbie’s 18th birthday.
Although the length of the journey is aiming for the stars, you won’t need to leave this planet to help out.
The Abbie’s Sparkle Foundation have set up a challenge called MILES to the MOON which takes place during the month of October with the goal being to reach the 238,855 miles to the moon through walking, running, swimming, cycling and any type of exercise that is distance related. Anyone can take part; all you need to do is sign up and log your miles (link below). You can complete the miles by cycling, running, swimming and any other types of exercise that are distance related.
Abbie Main’s 18th birthday would’ve been on 15 October 2020, after living with Sarcoma, a rare form of cancer, she passed away on Christmas day in 2017 at the age of 15.
Abbie's wish
Cameron is the Chair of the charity, which raises awareness of Sarcoma and helps children with cancer across the UK, the charity was not his idea and was far from his mind in 2017, but it was in the forefront of Abbie’s thoughts.
In February 2017, when Abbie knew she was terminally ill, she came up with the idea of a charity to help children like her. Abbie created the name and logo and wrote down that she wanted the charity to “raise money for hospitals and stuff” on a piece of paper one day with her friend. Cameron, his mum and dad (Tammy and Russell), had no idea about it and were given the piece of paper after Abbie passed away. Since then they have made it their mission to carry out Abbie’s wish through the foundation.
In just under three years Abbie’s Sparkle Foundation has raised nearly £300,000 and helped almost 400 young people. The charity was able to open its own holiday lodge in Aviemore last year which children living with cancer and their families are free to use.
Cameron said: “We want as many people involved in the challenge as possible for Abbie, but it’s also about raising awareness of Sarcoma and what we do as a charity.
"The charity has all come from Abbie and the fact that she was able to think of how she could help people.
“The charity has grown so much, visiting the kids in the hospitals and seeing the difference even a small thing like handing over a bag of goodies can have, it makes it all worthwhile and shows how important charity work is.
“I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else, especially for Abbie because we’re doing what she wanted to do herself.”
University of Stirling student Cameron is part of the Triathlon Scotland development squad and is a sportscotland Institute of Sport supported athlete.
Like many athletes the 20-year-old is eagerly awaiting a return to competition after disruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic as he targets a Team Scotland place at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
He said: “I was training throughout lockdown. I’m really fit at the moment; I just need to keep my fingers crossed I can get some races under my belt soon. The sportscotland Insitute of Sport and Triathlon Scotland both being set up in Stirling is really good for me. I get full support at the Institute including psychology, nutrition and physio.
“It is more difficult to keep training when there isn’t that certainty of a specific races to aim for. But one of my big long-term goals is Birmingham 2022, that’s always in the back of my mind and it keeps me going in training when there’s no other races on.”
Find out more
Sign up to help out with the the challenge
