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He was born without legs: Now Richard Pollins will walk 40k in charity challenge
North Londoner is fundraising for motor neurone disease research, in recognition of his inspirational mum
March 5, 2019 15:36
North Londoner is fundraising for motor neurone disease research, in recognition of his inspirational mum
March 5, 2019 15:36Richard Pollins was born without legs. But his mum Vera was undeterred by the pessimistic prognosis of specialists, and he went on to walk using prosthetic legs.
Mr Pollins was devastated when his mum was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2016 and to raise £40,000 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, the 40-year-old will be walking 40 kilometres over four days later this month in a route around London.
“There are many reasons why over the past 40 years I have been able to go from proving those [medical] fears to be unfounded to taking on this challenge," he told the JC.
“Most of those reasons are down to my mum. She made everything happen and the impossible possible.”
Mr Pollins, a programme editor for ITV News, added that MND “is a hideous condition. It has hurt our family and I wish the medical world was ready to cure her - but it isn’t.”
He said that, growing up, “I had to learn to do things differently - learning to balance, learning to walk, learning to do stairs. And it was mum who always pushed me.
“It wasn’t always easy and kids can be cruel but my parents always taught me to stand up for myself.”
When he was 13, “I wanted to get the bus to school because I was embarrassed of being picked up in a cab.
“My mum took me to the bus station and made me practice using the stairs until I could do it. And when I did it she made me learn how to do it with a heavy school bag.”
He has been training for his upcoming fundraiser, "but I haven’t yet done four lots of 10k. I’ve just completed one and even that was physically exhausting.
“I’ve never done anything like this before and I wanted It to be a real big challenge so people could get behind it.”
Mr Pollins, who is married with two young children, plans to start each day from London landmarks including Buckingham Palace. On the concluding day, he will set off from Belsize Square Synagogue, of which his family have been long-time members.
“I’m most nervous about the final day and the walk from my shul because it is not a flat route like the others. I’ll be taking on the hills of Hampstead and I think that will be hard.”
