Ready, Eddie, Go - Geddington schoolboy's lockdown pentathlon raises hundreds of pounds for NHS

A five-year-old schoolboy who wanted to help the NHS has completed a series of tough physical challenges to raise the money.

Throughout the lockdown, Eddie McDowall has been going to school because his mum Aimee is a key worker but over the half-term break, the pair were able to spend some time at their home in Geddington.

Instead of taking it easy for their holiday the mum and son duo chose a daily challenge, getting sponsorship from friends and family raising £535.

Aimee said: "When I broke the news that I wasn't going to be at work, he was really excited and then he said, 'Mum I'd like to help the NHS'.

"At first he wanted to do an eating challenge, but because he loves to be outside we came up with a challenge a day."

Eddie, who is a pupil at Hawthorn Community Primary School in Kettering, challenged himself to:

• Shoot 100 basketball hoops

• Walk 10km (six miles) from Geddington to Brigstock and back

• Cycle 13km (eight miles) around Rushden Lakes

• One hour of constant boxing a punch bag

• Run one hundred laps of a nearby field clocking up three miles

Aimee, a healthcare assistant at Weavers Medical Centre in Kettering, joined Eddie in all of the challenges.

She said: "It took Eddie 31 minutes to shoot 100 hoops. I wasn't going to do it but Eddie told me I had to.

"He's like a Duracell bunny. None of these challenges phased him.

"He was looking forward to doing the punch bag challenge the most. He started ducking and diving but slowed down. He punched for 40 minutes and I took over for 20 minutes. To be fair my arms really hurt but he just took it in his stride.

"I am so proud I could actually cry. I knew he'd be able to do them all.

"He's done so fantastically well. He's got the best attitude. I'm just so lucky."

To donate to Eddie's Go Fund Me page click here.

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