Maltese athletes join Marathon des Sables 2018 to raise funds for Jake Vella

A team of athletes from Malta will participate in the Marathon des Sables this month, to raise funds for local young triathlete Jake Vella.

As part of their ‘Running the Dunes for Jake’ initiative, Maltese athletes Daniel Agius, Steve Chetcuti, Ben Mifsud and Jack Schiavone will take on the famously difficult foot race across the Sahara Desert. Enduring 50º temperatures, the athletes must cover a distance of 250 kilometres in six stages over seven days, carrying their own supplies of food and sleeping gear to make them completely self-sufficient. Tents and rationed water are provided by the organisers.

The Maltese team will be using this activity to raise funds for Jake Vella, who is one of approximately 75 people in the world diagnosed with ‘ROHHAD’, an extremely rare disease in which obesity is hormonal. Through Rapid-onset Obesity with Hypothalamic dysfunction, Hypoventilation and Autonomic Dysregulation, or ROHHAD, the patient cannot stop gaining weight regardless of exercise or diet.

Despite his rare condition, nine-year-old Jake is a regular participant in local triathlon races, and his determination has inspired the four Maltese athletes to start the ‘Running the Dunes for Jake’ campaign, through which they will compete in the Marathon des Sables and raise funds for Jake.

AvisBudget Malta is supporting the athletes for the Marathon des Sables challenge with funds raised via its annual Run for Life initiative. Through the activity, AvisBudget employees compete in local running races, with the company donating €1 per km completed, and each employee opting for the company to also donate their reimbursed participation fee to the cause.

Originally launched internationally in 2016 by the AvisBudget Group, the Run for Life initiative at AvisBudget Malta has won the award for the most races run in the organisation for two consecutive years, supporting the Salesians of Don Bosco in the first year, and using the funds raised in 2017 to support the ‘Running the Dunes for Jake’ campaign.

“The donation and support given by AvisBudget is made possible thanks to the participation of AvisBudget Malta employees and the moral support of their colleagues, for which we are extremely grateful. Apart from raising money for a very good cause, this initiative also helps to promote a healthier lifestyle among our employees, as well as strengthening our team spirit,” Andrea Aquilina said.

“We are thrilled to support these four brave Maltese athletes as they take on this gruelling challenge in the ‘Running the Dunes for Jake’ campaign. Their incredible endeavour will, we hope, create more awareness about Jake’s condition, and encourage others to support this very worthy cause in whatever way they can.” For more information, or to donate to the ‘Running the Dunes for Jake – Marathon des Sables 2018’ fund-raising campaign, visit https://gogetfunding.com/running-the-dunes-for-jake-marathon-des-sable-2018/.