Tony Rice (back) and Glenn Metcalfe enjoy camaraderie during Doddie Aid 2024.
Tony Rice (back) and Glenn Metcalfe enjoy camaraderie during Doddie Aid 2024.
Former Waikato Rugby and Scotland rep Glenn Metcalfe and wife Lisa are walking and running the equivalent length of Scotland, in New Zealand, for Doddie Aid 2024.
Doddie Aid is a virtual mass participation event, where people were encouraged to get active for five weeks from January 1 and raise funds to help find a cure for motor neurone disease (MND).
MND research isn’t funded and there’s no cure.
Firstly at Whitianga and Whangamatā before returning home to Hamilton after their holiday, the Metcalfes were at a combined total of 472km after 22 days as they aimed for 10km daily, all in honour of Glenn’s late friend and former Scotland teammate Doddie Weir.
Weir passed away in November 2022 after a battle with MND, but not before putting all of his final efforts into the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation to help others with the condition.
“I always felt a bit disconnected being on this side of the world, quite a few of my old teammates are involved with Doddie Aid and my first captain for Scotland, Rob Wainwright started the event,” Glenn said.
Over the last three years, Doddie Aid has seen almost 80,000 participants cover 13 million kilometres and raise over £4 million (NZ$8.3) for the foundation.
“Doddie was always a magic guy. I caught up with him in 2019 at our 20-year reunion since winning the Five Nations. He wasn’t too great but he was sharp as a tack, his body was starting to let him down due to MND. Everyone loved him and everyone knew him.
“His whole ethos was, these are the cards I’ve been dealt, I’m just going to crack on and do what I can. He inspired a lot of people to fight the fight.”
From the Shetland Islands to Gretna Green on the border is about 700km as the crow flies.
“I’m trying to change it up each day, taking a different route and getting a couple of people to come along and run with me.
“Everyone taking part posts what they’re doing. It’s all about people feeling good mentally and physically.
“I wasn’t really big on social media but I said to Lisa, let’s get into it and we’ll give it a crack and try to connect that way.”
To take part and claim a free snood, people needed to download the Doddie Aid app and sign up by making a donation.
Kilometres can be logged via the app - gallop, run, cycle, swim, dance, hop, skip, row, roll – any form of exercise counts.
The majority of funds raised go towards research to find a cure.
Lisa Metcalfe (from left), Glenn Metcalfe, Annabelle Rice and Tony Rice have been clocking up kilometres for Doddie Aid.
The UK is leading the way in MND research but Glenn hoped that they could do their part to help from the other side of the globe.
“If they have a breakthrough with a drug or a cure, people everywhere in the world can benefit.
