Olympic gold medalist Adam Peaty hasn’t forgotten where he came from, as the British athlete recently generously helped a neighbor in need. Nick Brittlebank, a resident of Uttoxeter, the city where Peaty grew up, is suffering from Motor Neuron Disease (MND), a progressive neurological condition that has left him paralyzed from the neck down.
Although Brittlebank is living day by day, he is using what time he has remaining to raise money for the MND Association, an organization that provides vital support to sufferers and their families. His fundraising efforts include gathering items for a charity auction, which is where breaststroking ace Peaty fits in.
Contacting Peaty through a mutual friend, Brittlebank was surprised when the swimmer donated the very cap he wore in Budapest when breaking the 50m breaststroke World Record this past summer. Peaty also donated his official Team GB shirt from the Rio Olympics where he struck gold also in world record-setting form.
Of the Peaty donations, Brittlebank stated, “For someone who doesn’t know me to give something like that away that must be so precious to him speaks volumes.
“It has given me great strength knowing that people will help – and they don’t even have to be people you know.
“He’s obviously a really caring guy and a nice person. He could have easily said, ‘there are other causes I need to support’, but he saw fit to help me, which is amazing. It also shows he’s not forgotten where he comes from and still cares about people in his home town.”
For his part, Peaty stated, “I chose to support Nick and his family as it’s important to me to give back to people wherever possible and help others in times of adversity.”
Brittlebank was given just months to live in October last year, but the 46-year-old refuses to give up. He will auction the prizes on a date yet to be announced.
You can learn more about the disease itself, as well as how to donate at the MND Association website here: www.mndassociation.org.
That’s peaty awesome
To maximise funds raised in the auction, and given the interest people have in swimming on this site, is it possible for remote bids to be made on these two items?
Peaty is awesome.