A 43‑year‑old father from Griffithstown is preparing for the toughest challenge of his life to raise money for a friend’s family whose six‑year‑old son is living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).
Jamie Hern will tackle a gruelling three‑part endurance event on Saturday 23 May 2026. He will travel along the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal from Pontymoile Basin to Brecon Basin by kayak, bike, and running – around 36 miles in a single day.
The challenge is in support of Jack, the young son of Jamie’s friend Steve. Jack was diagnosed with DMD at the age of three. The muscle‑wasting condition mainly affects boys and requires ongoing physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, tests and hospital appointments.
‘Just a little dude’
Despite this, Jamie says Jack remains “just a little dude” who loves superheroes and trains and “takes all this in his stride.”
Jamie said learning about Jack’s diagnosis had a profound impact on him.
“…since Jack’s diagnosis, I’ve read up on Duchenne, as like most people I’d never heard of it, and it’s just awful,” he said. “How the disease develops, the fact there is no cure. I’m a father myself, and trying to relate to what they are going through is unimaginable.”
“Reading the posts that Jenny has put on Social Media, about Jack, his treatment, all the challenges they face day to day and what may lie ahead for him and them, absolutely breaks me.
Reading Jenny’s [Jack’s mum] posts about Jack’s treatment and the challenges they face absolutely breaks me. If I can do something to help, even in a small way, that’ll do for me.
“Steve is my friend. This challenge will be the hardest thing I’ve ever done. If I have to suffer for a few hours while doing this, then so be it. If I can do something to help out, even if it’s in a small way. That’ll do for me.
Parachute regiment
Although Jamie has never met Jack, his brother Charlie, or Jenny in person, he has been friends with Jack’s dad, Steve, for eight years. The pair met at the funeral of Jamie’s best friend Hutch, who had served with Steve in the Parachute Regiment. Since then, they have taken on the demanding PARAS 10 endurance race together several times in Hutch’s memory.
Jamie’s upcoming challenge is split into three phases that he will compete one after the other:
- Kayak from Pontymoile Basin to Goytre Wharf (6 miles)
- Cycle from Goytre Wharf to Talybont (22 miles)
- Run from Talybont to Brecon Basin (7 miles) carrying a 35lb bergen, a “nod” to Steve’s military background and, Jamie says, a reminder of “what it’s like for a child with Duchenne just to climb the stairs.”
He has been training through the winter, running, lifting and completing weighted marches.
“It’s cold, wet and dark at the minute, and sometimes motivation can be lacking,” he said. “But knowing why I’m training, and what this might do to help out, gives me a push to get myself outside.”
Jamie hopes the money raised will help ease financial pressures for the family. “I hope it releases some of the burdens they may be facing, or any anxiety about the future. It might help them get anything Jack needs as his condition progresses.”
He also plans to carry a toy train with him on the day – a small tribute to Jack’s favourite thing.
Donate to the fundraiser
A fundraising page has been set up, and Jamie is encouraging anyone who can to support the family. Please donate through this GoFundMe page.