A THURROCK boy's battle against leukaemia is one of the inspirational stories behind a fundraising effort taking place in Grays this weekend.

Sean Laidlaw, 34, founder of the Beyond Limits gym operating from Thurrock Rugby Club has set himself and his team the momentous challenge of travelling more than 192,000m in just 90 minutes on Saturday (17 December).

Around 20 people are expected to take part on the day where equipment stations, like a rowing machine, skier and assault bikes will be laid out. Each person will rotate on the machines taking short rests in between to try and mark off as many metres as possible.

Sean said: "We held a similar event for my dad two years ago and between us, we covered off 192,000m. So, it was obvious we had to try and better that this time round.

"However, this time, we're raising money for the Lennox Children's cancer charity. It's really important as one of our members, Hayley Fisher from Chafford Hundred, has sadly had to lean on the charity while her seven-year-old son Morgan, underwent extensive leukaemia treatment. Thankfully, he rang the bell in October and is now officially in remission."

Hayley said: "Anything which can help raise some money and give this important charity some attention is good. The charity can help with the small but important things families need after hearing such awful news.

"Things like applying for a blue badge, assisting with financial support, emotional support for the family - even just explaining the medical terms, process and procedure, it can be extremely overwhelming and they were there to help.

"Morgan thankfully is in good spirits and health, with lockdown during treatment, it means he isn't the only child to have missed out on going into school for long stretches of time.

"We held a little party at Basildon Hospital for Morgan on the day he rang the bell – attended by a VIP, Buzz Lightyear. He has been so strong for somebody so little, and I want to thank everyone who has helped play a part in his recovery.

"I'll be there on Saturday, with Morgan and his brothers and sister, and we can't wait to hello to everyone."

Sean concluded: "The event starts at 9am for 90 minutes, and there are a couple of ways you can help. Firstly, if you fancy throwing yourself on a machine to help us reach our goal, please do! You can register by sending Beyond Limits a message on Instagram (@BeyondLimitsCoach). The more muscle and strength the better - or, head over to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sean-laidlaw and donate direct to this great cause."