Are you looking for your next adrenaline-filled challenge this summer? Then take on the ultimate challenge with Variety
Thursday, 13 April, 2023
Arlo Fox-Hammond
Levi and Lucas
Don your superhero cape for the inclusive Superhero Tri, brave new heights with an adrenaline-filled skydive, or get your running shoes on for marathons across the globe.
Whatever your age or ability, there’s a challenge event for everyone. When you join Team Variety, you’ll receive support from the Variety Challenge Events team, from the moment you start training to the moment you cross the finish line.
With Variety’s challenge events, not only will you have your pick of fun-filled adventures, but your sponsorship will help to improve the lives of disabled and disadvantaged children. Whether you travel the world, stay close to home, get your friends together, or fly solo, you’re sure to have the time of your life when you join Team Variety.
Find out more at
www.variety.org.uk/events/challenge-events/
or call 020 7428 8157
Read about some of our amazing Superheroes...
Toddler, aged 21 months, with rare condition competing in triathlon
An Essex toddler with a rare condition will be competing in a triathlon - at just 21 months old. Arlo Fox-Hammond, who will be two-years-old in June and is from Essex, 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. Despite this, he will be donning his superhero cape to raise money for Variety, the Children’s Charity.
Taking part in the Superhero Tri, which is an inclusive triathlon where superheroes with disabilities can either fly solo or get together their team of sidekicks to tackle the run, cycle, and swim, Arlo will take on the course for charity.
The event not only provides a safe place for people with disabilities to take part in sport, but celebrates diversity and encourages people to work together to create an inclusive and accessible event.
Arlo is used to taking part in sporting events, and has participated in 73 park runs with his mum, Amber Fox-Hammond, to date. He aims to achieve his 100 milestone by September. Arlo’s sidekicks for the Superhero Tri will use his running buggy, bike trailer, and floatation aid to help him around the course. His dad, Chris McNeill, will be supporting the swim, Arlo’s uncle, Toby Fox-Hammond, will be supporting the cycle, and Amber will be supporting the run.
The team are supporting Variety, the Children’s Charity, who provide practical support to disabled and disadvantaged children and young people. The charity provides wheelchairs, specialist equipment, experiences on their Great Days Out, and their famous fully accessible Sunshine Coaches for SEND schools.
Amber, said, “We’re so excited to take part in the Superhero Tri with Arlo. It’s fantastic to see more inclusive events like this taking place. It’s a wonderful way to promote an interest in an active lifestyle while showing children like Arlo that they really can do anything they put their minds to!
“We were keen to run on behalf of Variety. It really is a fantastic charity helping children with disabilities. With the help that Variety provides, children can realise their full potential, and that’s something very close to our hearts.”
Sarah Phillips, Challenge Events and Community Fundraising Officer at Variety, the Children’s Charity, said, “We’re thrilled to welcome Arlo and his group of sidekicks to Team Variety! We couldn’t do the work we do without supporters taking part in challenge events like this.
“It’s so important for people with disabilities to be able to take part in sporting and challenge events, and inclusive events like the Superhero Tri are an important step forward in making the world of sport more inclusive. It’s fantastic that children like Arlo can grow up knowing that there is a space for them and we only hope that as Arlo grows, that space will grow with him!
“We can’t wait to see Arlo flying round the course. We’ll be there to support him all the way round!”
Levi and Lucas Join Team Variety
Levi and Lucas are 16-year-old twin brothers who have autism, complex epilepsy, and learning difficulties. They are both prone to seizures and have been frequently hospitalised throughout their lives. Their parents, Paul and Michael, went to Variety, the Children’s Charity for sensory equipment, including bubble tubes and sensory lights, as Levi and Lucas needed a calm environment to go after a seizure or meltdown.
Levi, Lucas, Paul, and Michael will be taking part in the Superhero Tri on 12th August. This fully inclusive triathlon is designed to give people with disabilities a safe place to take part in sports without worrying about accessibility. Superheroes can fly solo or get together a team of sidekicks to help them tackle the run, swim, and cycle sections of the course.
By completing the course on behalf of Variety, the Children’s Charity, Levi and Lucas will be helping to improve the lives of disabled and disadvantaged children like themselves. If you want to challenge yourself for somebody else, you can find your next challenge event with Variety.
• To find out more about the Superhero Tri, visit
www.variety.org.uk/superhero or call 020 7428 8157.
