Marathon man on mission to create dementia awareness

A man diagnosed with ‘early onset’ Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) will visit Tullamore on Monday, May 26, as part of his '32 Marathons in 32 Counties' fundraising challenge.

Jordan Adams, is currently 12 days into his endurance challenge in support of the Alzheimer Society of Ireland and the work of the non-profit FTD Brothers Foundation.

Adams, one half of The FTD Brothers, is running a full marathon (26.2 miles) a day for 32 days, across all 32 counties in Ireland.

As part of this physical and mental endurance challenge, Adams aims to complete the marathon distance in Tullamore towards the end of his running journey which will culminate on Wednesday, May 28, in Dublin.

His journey comes after a deeply personal diagnosis. Jordan’s mother, who has Irish roots, died at the age of 52 after living with FTD and now, facing the same diagnosis himself, he has chosen to respond in a remarkable way.

He is undertaking the challenge in memory of 12 relatives who lived in Ireland, who all died from FTD, the same disease that will, one-day, claim his own life. Rather than stepping back, Jordan is stepping forward.

“Losing my mum the way I did changed everything.

“Now being diagnosed myself, I had a choice and I chose to do something that shows life doesn’t stop here," Jordan said.

Before the Irish challenge even begins, Jordan completed the London Marathon in an extraordinary show of resilience, running the full 26.2 miles carrying a 25kg fridge on his back to raise awareness and capture attention for the cause.

FTD, which affects people under the age of 65, can have a devastating impact on individuals and families. Through this challenge, Jordan hopes to raise awareness, spark conversation, and show others facing similar diagnoses that there is still a way forward.

To make a donation to the FTD Brothers '32 Marathons in 32 Countries' fundraising endurance challenge please visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/theftdbrothers