By Lesley Walsh
A BALLYHALBERT woman is pushing herself to her physical limit to raise money for her children’s special school which she said she can’t praise highly enough.
Barbara Morrow’s son Zachary attends Longstone Special School in Dundonald, where he has excelled so much during his school career that he will likely join mainstream education in the near future.
The 45 woman has challenged herself to a gruelling stint of athletic feats of endurance, including 12 sprint distance triathlons – one a month over the year, a half iron distance and also running races.
Joining the fundraising effort, ten year-old Zachary, along with his sister, Scarlett, who is eight and a pupil Kircubbin Integrated Primary School, joined their mother at the recent Run the Runways event at Ards Airport, in an effort to keep the money rolling in.
Spelling out the mammoth physical tasks she has committed herself to, Barbara explained that her year-long triathlon endeavour will involve monthly rounds of 750 metre swims, 14 mile bike rides followed by three mile runs, ‘just to keep the fundraising ticking over all year’.
Her half iron distance activity, which takes place in September, involves a 12 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride and a 13 mile run.
Barbara said that so far, she has raised £190 of her £500 target, which she is delighted with.
Barbara explained the impetus for putting herself through such arduous tasks, all for Longstone.
“It is the most wonderful school,” she said. “The progress Zachary has made, both physically and academically has been phenomenal.
“He’s in P6 now and has another year until big school but he will probably be able to move to mainstream and that is something we never anticipated would ever be part of his journey.
“The staff have been the most supportive you could imagine and they are so connected, as people, to him; they are just wonderful and have been so clued in to him,” she continued.
Emphasising that with autism, her son doesn’t have learning disabilities but ‘has some barriers to learning’, Barbara added: “I almost run out of words to praise Longstone enough but we have had such an amazing level of supportive and holistic experience.
“He has been there his entire school career and we always hear about the bad things but it’s so good to share the good things.”
Commenting on Zachary’s participating in the fundraising efforts at Run the Runways, organised by Scrabo Striders, Barbara said he had put considerable effort into preparing himself for the event.
She said that when the starter gun went off, he was off like a rocket.
“I was a bit dubious over how he would manage it but I was completely blown away by him.
“He smoked me,” she laughed. “He left me in his dust. He really embraced the challenge and just flew. I stayed with Scarlett but I couldn’t have caught him anyway.
“He was so proud of himself and that was so good to see,” said Barbara.
“We were lucky to get a children’s race and it was wonderful to be able to do it in such a safe environment.”
“We were so happy to do it for the school. It really is a phenomenal place,” she said.
