Not All Heroes Wear Capes, Some Wear Refrigerators

Running is taxing. From taking a toll on each joint in a human’s body to filling the mind with discouraging amounts of strain, many people have to push themselves to their limits to complete a run successfully. On the contrary, other individuals can also find enjoyment, passion, and zeal from running. If this enthusiasm continues to flourish, in certain situations, it fuels a new level of connection to the sport, and for brothers Jordan and Cian Adams, that was surely the case.

Earlier this year, Jordan and Cian Adams set out to accomplish something great: 32 marathons in 32 days. In 2016, their mother, Geraldine, passed away from frontotemporal dementia (FTD), which is “an umbrella term for a group of brain diseases that mainly affect the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain,” according to mayoclinic.org. Shortly after, the brothers were tested for the gene and identified that they would also succumb to the disease starting in their 40s.

Instead of letting FTD define the rest of their lives, the brothers decided to begin raising awareness. Beyond simply shedding light on FTD, Jordan told The Associated Press there is another part to their goal, which is that “...by advocating for other people and trying to bring the dementia community together[,]hopefully that will be evidence to them that they can live positive lives too.”

Their first accomplishment was the London Marathon. Together, the brothers finished with a wicked time, and if that was not already enough, Jordan did the entire race with a refrigerator strapped onto his back. Symbolizing the weight the members of FTD families feel, Jordan was proud to have completed the race while also drawing extra attention to their cause. The following day, they began their “Irish Challenge”: a marathon in each Irish county every day for 32 days. As their mother and 12 other family members who have died from FTD have Irish roots, the brothers thought it was fitting to complete their challenge there.

To close it off on a high note, the brothers finished their final marathon in central Dublin. Supported by hundreds of individuals, the brothers completed it in about four hours, a feat that by itself is impressive. By the end of their journey, they felt ecstatic to have brought such awareness to the disease. As Jordan told BBC News, he "wanted to make an impact on the world,” and that is exactly what they did.

FTD is one of four main branches of dementia. According to Alzheimer’s Disease International, “[t]here are over 10 million new cases of dementia each year worldwide,” meaning someone is diagnosed every three or so seconds. Joran and Cian brought eyes to something much greater, but their impact does not have to end there. Together, the world can achieve great things, and while finding a cure for dementia will be a steep mountain to climb, uniting to shed light on it, similar to these brothers, is the next best thing.