Sydney's Bloody Long Walk to beat mito

1,200 Sydneysiders will strap on their sneakers this Sunday 17 November and walk 35km in The Bloody Long Walk, a national fundraising initiative for the Mito Foundation.

Mitochondrial disease (mito) is a debilitating, potentially fatal genetic disorder that robs the body's cells of the energy they need to function properly. There are no cures and few effective treatments.

Participants will walk for more than 7 hours, clock up nearly 47,000 steps, all the way from Malabar to Sydney's Harbour Bridge.

Martin Burton from Manly, walking for the 7th time, is raising funds to ensure Mito Foundation's vital support services remain available.

"After 2 long years of tests, my son Luke was diagnosed with a form of mito. Like any concerned parent, we wanted to do anything we could to help find a cure and treatments for our son's disease. That led us to the Mito Foundation and participating in the annual Bloody Long Walk fundraising event.

Luke interacts with many of the services and support that Mito Foundation offers to live his best life. We need the support of the foundation now more than ever and The Bloody Long Walk helps us make a contribution to that support."

So far the team has already raised more than $27,000.

Mito Foundation CEO Sean Murray said the event is part of a nationwide initiative supporting families affected by mito.  

"The Burton's story is one of many, as families across Australia face the harsh impact of mito. The reality is that around 70 Aussie kids born in the next year will develop a life-threatening form of mito — that's one baby born every 6 days. Sadly, most children diagnosed with mito die in the first 5 years of life." Mr Murray said.

"Scientific advancements are the most promising they've ever been and could significantly improve outcomes for people diagnosed with mito. Our ambition is to prevent as many children as possible from suffering from this life-threatening disease and to reduce the burden of mito on families and the community." 
 

For more information about The Bloody Long Walk, to register, share your support, or contribute a donation, please go to: www.bloodylongwalk.com.au.

ENDS