Kirkcaldy man’s marathon fundraiser for MND in memory of childhood friend Gordon Aikman

Kenney Collins, 38, is taking part in the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon - named in memory of the rugby league star who died from the disease aged just 41 - on Sunday, May 11. He has set up a JustGiving page to raise funds for MND Scotland to help other families affected by it in Scotland.

Kenney works in hospitality at Louie Brown's in Dunfermline. He has a fiancé, Louise, and the couple have two daughters: Arya (8) and Jade, (5). He has a background and keen interest in sports and started his gymnastics career at the age of seven and became a coach at 15 - a role he continues to this day. Over the years, he also participated in ice hockey and diving and remained a full-time athlete until he turned 28.

Kenney said: “My first gymnastics coach at Kirkcaldy Gymnastics Club was a gentleman called Keith Aikman. He was Gordon’s father.

“I trained with Gordon for a long time. We were both keen to focus on the performance side of gymnastics, so we moved on to train at Spartans Gymnastics Club to help further our careers.

“I still coach at Kirkcaldy Gymnastics Club with Gordon’s sister, Lorraine, who is now the head coach.

He added: “Despite going our separate ways as we got older, Gordon and I both ended up living and working around the Edinburgh area. He would sometimes visit the restaurant I was working at joined by his family, friends and work clients. It was always nice to see him and catch up”.

Gordon went to Kirkcaldy High School and graduated with an MA in Business from the University of Edinburgh, where he became vice president of the Students’ Association.

He worked in research and communications for the Scottish Labour Party and served as Director of Research for the Better Together campaign during the Scottish independence referendum.

After receiving a devastating MND diagnosis in February 2014, he dedicated his time to fundraising and raising awareness about the disease. With his husband, Joe Pike, he raised over £500,000 for MND Scotland for research. In February 2017, the Scottish Government announced the Gordon Aikman Scholarship to fund care improvements for individuals with MND.

On hearing about Gordon’s diagnosis, Kenney said: “I followed his story very closely once I heard he had motor neuron disease. I read an article when it was announced, and I couldn’t stop crying. Seeing the transformation from my previous memories of him to how much of an impact it had on him and understanding how permanent it would be in such a brief time, was incredibly shocking”.

MND is a rapidly progressing terminal illness, which stops signals from the brain reaching the muscles. This can cause someone to lose the ability to walk, talk, swallow or breathe unaided and the average life expectancy is just 18 months from diagnosis.

Kenney added: “I remember watching a news story about Gordon on TV which gave an insight into his career and his work with the Scottish Government. He wanted to raise awareness about MND and how it was affecting him, so he let cameras and an interviewer into his house. I could see how much he had deteriorated in so little time. As I only saw Gordon sporadically, I wasn’t seeing the changes in him on a day-to-day basis or the impact it was having”.

Following Gordon’s diagnosis, Kenney would meet his childhood friend again.

“Gordon and Joe came into the pub where I work now after he was diagnosed, and I served them. He was in a wheelchair, and I remember he needed to drink through a straw and needed some support with eating”.

Due to the local connection, his friendship with Gordon, his commitment to making a difference, and his love of sports, Kenney has decided to take on the Rob Burrow Leeds challenge to raise funds for MND Scotland - the only charity in Scotland dedicated to directly supporting people with MND, their families and friends.

Since being founded over 40 years ago, MND Scotland has provided practical, financial and emotional support to anyone affected by the condition whilst also funding essential research into finding effective treatments and a cure.

Kenney said: “Gordon has been a big inspiration to me over the years to show how much hard work and dedication can do to help others. He had a huge impact on his family, friends and his social circle, and within his political and professional career. “

Jonathan Mitchell, head of fundraising for MND Scotland, said: “It’s truly heartwarming to hear about the significant impact that Gordon had on Kenney. We are immensely grateful to him for challenging himself to help make time count for families affected by motor neuron disease (MND).

“Thanks to supporters like Kenney, we can continue to fund groundbreaking research and provide essential services that many individuals living with MND rely on.

Kenney will be joined by his family on the day of the challenge, and hopes to reach a target of £2000. To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/page/kenney-collins-1731959302886