Running the Dunes for Jake – Marathon des Sables 2018

In April 2018, Maltese athletes Daniel Agius, Steve Chetcuti, Ben Mifsud and Jack Schiavone will be taking part in the Marathon des Sables, a foot race made up of several stages. Each athlete has to be self-sufficient to cover a distance of 250km. This means that participants must carry his/her own backpack containing food, sleeping gear and other material.

The Maltese Team will be using this endeavour to raise funds for young triathlete Jake Vella, who is one of approximately 75 people in the world with a rare condition called ROHHAD.

ROHHAD, short for Rapid-onset Obesity with Hypothalamic dysfunction, Hypoventilation and Autonomic Dysregulation is a rare disease where obesity is hormonal. That means that no matter how hard Jake trains or eats healthily, he cannot stop his body from gaining weight. Jake is a regular participant in local Triathlon races.