Proud parents shares happy news after son, 8, raises money for MS-UK in support of nana

Barbara Rowell is one proud mum after her 8-year-old son, Ethan, took on his first ever Steel Distance Triathlon, raising over £2,000 and funds for MS-UK.

The brave boy from Musselburgh who endearingly admitted to ‘feeling nervous’ on the morning of his event smashed the challenge with ease.

Ethan entered the Steel distance with UK Triathlon, which is a 50m swim, 2k cycle and 1k run, at Bellahouston Leisure Centre & Park, in Glasgow. So far, he has raised £2190.00. The first £50 goes to his chosen charity, MS-UK, and the rest is equally divided between MS-UK and his primary school – Stoneyhill.

Ethan was motivated to succeed every step of the way, competing for his loving nana, Helen, who has secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS).

Nana Helen said Ethan is a helpful grandson. ‘He makes sure I’m sitting comfortably and gets Dave (my rollator) for me. He helps me by feeding the hens and collecting the eggs. He passes me things to save me getting up. He’s such a sweetie.’

Mum Barbara knew he would go on to do great things in sport, saying he has been on the go since a young age.

‘He has always loved riding his bike. From the age of two he started on a balance bike and now has shiny disc brakes. He loves running, so we joined a local football club which he loves.

‘Then he signed up to Parkrun as he wanted to run fast and find out how long it would take to run 1km and started doing our local Parkrun at Archerfield, where he tries to beat his 2k time every week.’

Sporty Ethan also swims twice a week, once at his club and another time with his mum.

He has his dad to thank for his cycling courage, learning about gear changes and picking the right speed.

‘We got Ethan a coaching session with a triathlete to help him understand how the event would work and about transitions,’ said mum.

‘He helped him with his breathing and turns at swimming and how to pace himself running. They worked on gear changes on his bike and overall, how to relax, breathe and enjoy it.’

Ethan even had words of encouragement sent over from his favourite Gladiator, Steel, who sent him helpful advice in a special video.

‘My favourite part was the cycling,’ said Ethan. ‘I’m really good at it and I have a great bike. Running from the pool and cycling in my wet trunks was hilarious.

‘I feel so proud to have raised so much money to help my nana and my school. My legs felt tired at the end but I’m really excited to finish my first Triathlon.’

With money raised for his school, Ethan is helping his teachers choose new fitness equipment for all the boys and girls to enjoy – and it looks like it will come in handy after hearing next year’s plans.

He’s going to enter a school team next year for the UK triathlon, taking on the bronze distance and understandably after Ethan’s success, his classmates are up for the challenge.

Ethan’s swimming teacher, Ben Scott, at Aquatic Learning Swim school in Edinburgh, said Ethan has been dedicated in the entire lead up.

‘Ethan has been swimming with Aquatic Learning for over two years and, during that time, has developed into a fantastic young swimmer. Hearing about his involvement in the triathlon was a proud moment for everyone at Aquatic Learning.

‘Not only was it a great opportunity for Ethan to showcase the skills and confidence he has developed in the water, but it also demonstrated his character and commitment to supporting MS-UK.

‘In the lead-up to the event, Ethan showed real dedication, regularly staying behind after his lessons to complete additional swim training. His hard work and determination have clearly paid off.

‘Everyone at Aquatic Learning would like to congratulate Ethan on this fantastic achievement. We are incredibly proud and look forward to seeing what he accomplishes next.’

And Ben wasn’t the only sports expert working hard with Ethan behind the scenes. His triathlete coach, Martyn Wright, was also impressed with his efforts.

‘Ethan showed a huge level of commitment, focus and heart when training for his Steel Distance Triathlon. The fact, that at only 8 years old, he chose to do such a tough event in aid of his Nana and MS-UK is truly inspiring, and I’m sure everybody who knows his is immensely proud of what he achieved.

‘Ethan had clearly already put a lot of time into each of the swim, bike, run disciplines, but when I suggested a few things he could improve on he listened, learned, and put the changes in, showing a level of commitment well beyond his years. The hard work he’d put in had clearly paid off with the results he got. Well done, Ethan!!’

Stoneyhill staff are very proud of Ethan, too.

His class teacher, Ms Phelan, said, ‘Ethan has shown incredible dedication throughout his fundraising journey. Ethan’s commitment to training, his determination, and the pride he took in representing Stoneyhill has been inspiring to all of us in the classroom. We are absolutely delighted for him, he’s achieved something truly special, and we couldn’t be prouder.’

And head teacher, Ms Grandison agreed. ‘’Everyone at Stoneyhill is so proud of Ethan, he has put a huge amount of time and effort into his training and the event and the money he has managed to raise is outstanding. Ethan has been an inspiration to many including myself.’

If you’d like to congratulate Ethan and donate some funds to his pot, then click here