A Midland man has described the moment he raised thousands of pounds for Birmingham Children's Hospital as 'unbelievable'. Rohan Mahan, co-founder of The Mission Planet, organised and completed a 52km ultra-marathon from Stratford-upon-Avon to Birmingham on May 28, alongside 12 other participants.
The 23-year-old from Stratford-upon-Avon raised more than £6,000 through the challenge, which began at Bell Court in the town centre. The route passed the Royal Shakespeare Company, followed the canals, and continued through Brindleyplace before finishing at the children's hospital.
Emotional journey
Speaking about the ultra-marathon, Rohan called it 'one of the most emotional moments' of his life. He said: 'People were in a lot of pain and discomfort and I kept motivating them by stressing we were doing this for children. An ultra-marathon is no mean feat for anyone, but I knew it was an aspirational and achievable target.'
'My highlight was seeing how collectively we supported each other along the journey. It was one of the most emotional moments in my life. Once we got into Brindleyplace, we had two kilometres left and everyone had their spirits lifted.'
'I was running down New Street and I've spent years of my life here, so to see everyone looking at us, suddenly speed picked up and everyone was cheering. It was just unbelievable.'
Personal connection
Rohan explained his deep connection to the hospital: 'There's hardly anyone within my circle that hasn't been treated or had a family member treated at Birmingham Children's Hospital.' He visited the hospital on June 10 and described it as 'one of the most unbelievable centres of excellence in the world'.
Reflecting on The Mission Planet's ethos, Rohan added: 'I just want to prove ordinary people can do extraordinary things if they choose to act and work together. Being kind is one of the most powerful things in the world, and not just to yourself. That run proved if you want to go far in life, go together because we're so much stronger as a team. Together, everyone achieves more.'
