When I agreed to take part again in the Len and Jacob Challenge, I didn’t lace up; I ran barefoot from Comino onward. Brian, the twins’ father, did the entire challenge barefoot.
Before the sun rose on Sunday, October 5th, we had already started from Mosta, running, swimming, and pushing forward, carrying hope with every step and surrounded by others who showed up in their running attire to support. Every step without shoes was a reminder of what this challenge was about: the relentless fight of two young boys, and the unshakable love of a family carrying them through life with Zellweger Syndrome, a rare and incurable genetic condition.
The streets were quiet, but inside, we carried a storm: determination, hope, and an ache that echoed the one Brian feels daily as a father. From Mosta, we ran to ÄŠirkewwa, the northern tip of Malta. Our feet hit the pavement, raw and exposed, echoing the struggle Len and Jacob face every single day living with their incurable genetic condition.
At Ċirkewwa, the road gave way to sea. We dove in, swimming to Comino, where the waves tested us, and the thought of the twins and their fight against time keeping us afloat. On Comino, the barefoot run continued across rough terrain on the rocky trails all the way to St. Maria Bay. There, another swim awaited; this time to Ħondoq ir-Rummien in Gozo.
Finally, the last leg: a run across Gozo, barefoot and blistered, all the way to the Basilica of Ta’ Pinu.
Every step was heavy, but every step was for Len and Jacob. This journey wasn’t about endurance; it was about awareness, solidarity, and showing the world that a community can stand with a family whose challenges never end. We ran barefoot. We swam. We persevered. All for Love.
A special thanks goes to Roberto Calleja and Nadia Portelli who joined in the run to support us along the way.
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