Rob Starr, Chair of the Starr Trust Charity, and CEO of our Mortgage Partner SEICO Mortgages is in the final throws of completing a record-breaking Olympic Distance Triathlon every week in 2022. Supported by Olympic Decathlete Daley Thomson CBE and Olympian ‘Eddie the Eagle’ Edwards, Rob’s mission is to raise £100k to support disadvantaged young people in Sussex who are struggling to overcome huge roadblocks in their lives.
Rob’s idea for this challenge came about because Nathan, one of the young ‘Starrs’ that the charity supports, needs to raise around £15,000 to enable him to reach the next Paralympics as a wheelchair tennis player. He is a remarkable young man who has Cerebral Palsy and who until eighteen months ago, was a successful wheelchair racer who the Starr Trust was supporting.
During a world championship race, Nathan suffered an accident that meant he could no longer race, but rather than give up he switched to wheelchair tennis and is now on the cusp of being chosen for the next Paralympics.
The Starr Trust is awarding Nathan their maximum funding of £5,000, but this falls £10,000 short. Therefore, Rob has pledged to raise this for him. The Starr Trust has a large number of applications from young people in need and Rob’s challenge is to raise enough money to support Nathan fully and also support as many of the new applicants reaching out for help from the charity.
Rob made the pledge to undertake this world record breaking personal challenge in December 2021 and completed his first triathlon of the challenge on 1st January 2022 continuing weekly thereafter throughout the year to date.
Nathan Freeman said: “I can’t believe Rob is doing this for me and other young people in need, it’s amazing, I don’t know how he does it. Rob and the Starr Trust have been supporting me for years and they just make me feel I can achieve anything. They are such a big part of my family and are literally making this dream possible for me.”
Supporter of the Starr Trust, Olympic Gold Medallist Daley Thompson CBE is set to join Rob Starr for a star-studded evening event at the prestigious Soho House which is hoped will help boost the fundraising effort even further. Olympian Decathlete Daley Thompson CBE said: “I jokingly told Rob his adventures never impress me, but seriously if Rob completes this challenge, then I really will be very impressed.”
Ski Jumping Olympic Legend ‘Eddie the Eagle’ Edwards who supported the Starr Trust at their Winter Extravaganza Ball in Brighton this year said: “When I heard what Rob was about to do, I thought he was mad!!! This is a heroic effort…well done…we are all behind you…”
Likened to Forrest Gump for his determination by many, commenting on this mega challenge, Rob Starr of the Starr Trust said: “Now being around 95% into this challenge I finally realise how difficult it is! The hardest part has been trying to keep injury free, which has not always been possible, and then carrying on regardless of the pain. Also, as a long-term sufferer of Crohn’s Disease and arthritis I have had to cope with pushing my body way past its comfort zone. The other tough part about the challenge is definitely the mental aspect rather than the physical; having to push forward no matter how I feel and with no one there to support you on the dark cold mornings has taken a lot of self-discipline. But one thing I have learned about myself is that whilst I might have regretted committing to a triathlon each week, I have not once regretted doing them. The amazing money we are raising is already changing the lives of so many young people and along the way I’m becoming the fittest I have ever been. That’s a win-win in my book. Absolutely no regrets at all.”
Mishon Mackay is proud to work closely with Rob Starr and his team at SEICO Mortgages in regard to providing financial services to their clients and share the prestige of being established in the business community for more than three decades. 100% of all funds raised will be given out to young people, because the charity has all its running costs covered by Rob’s company, SEICO Group, and therefore uses no sponsorship money for running costs. Established in 2008, the Starr Trust has supported over 4000 young people to date.
Fundraising link to make a kind donation is here: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/52x52triathlonchallenge
