Stars of the British & Irish Lions past and present, including Hamish Watson, Rob Wainwright and Ali Price, are calling on the people of Scotland to join them in a mass participation fundraising exercise challenge.
The Doddie Aid Challenge is raising money for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation and kicked off on 1st January, running until the Doddie Weir Cup contest between Scotland and Wales during the 2022 Guinness Six Nations on 12th February.
The brainchild of Weir’s former Scotland and Lions teammate Wainwright, the Doddie Aid Challenge sees rugby’s old Scottish inter-district championship dusted off and its five teams resurrected.
Last year’s Doddie Aid saw over 22,000 people sign up, raising over £1m and covering enough miles to circumnavigate the world 87 times.
To get involved, potential participants should download the Doddie Aid app from the Apple or Android app stores to join their chosen district and claim a free team snood. All exercise miles should then be recorded via the app. There is also a desktop version available here.
Any form of exercise counts towards a district’s total on the leaderboard, from running to rollerblading, cycling to skiing or just adding up daily steps.
Inspirational as always from @DoddieWeir5 who has been busy racking up the #DoddieAid miles by cycling, rowing & swimming 👊
He wants YOU to sign up – click the link to join: https://t.co/V4ItUP5DQY pic.twitter.com/3SjGvJqWnb
— My Name’5 Doddie Foundation (@MNDoddie5) January 12, 2022
Throughout the event, the captains of each district will be busy signing other high-profile stars in a bid to boost their team’s efforts. Come 12th February the team which has logged the most collective miles will be crowned Doddie Aid Inter-District Champions.
The event will culminate in with Wainwright and a team of cyclists including Mark Beaumont – who holds the record for quickest time to cycle around the world – cycling the Doddie Weir Cup match ball from Murrayfield, Edinburgh to Principality Stadium, Cardiff, ahead of the Wales v Scotland Six Nations clash.
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Wainwright explained: “Whenever Doddie is involved, there has to be an element of fun.
“Doddie Aid 2022 plans to keep you entertained and exercising from start to finish. We kicked off on 1st January with loony dooks across the country, followed by six weeks of running, rowing, round the world cycling, nights on Zwift, tartan dog walks with celebrity pooches, and more.
“You raised over £1million last time. Money that is being directed into MND research and the quest for effective treatments for this terrible condition. Let’s make it bigger and better this year.”
Weir added: “Doddie Aid is the perfect way to kick off 2022. Last year we had a huge amount of fun, comparing stories and sharing our combined efforts while raising vital funds for targeted MND research and to help support people living with this terrible disease.
“This year I hope everyone gets behind Doddie Aid and joins in – we have a shiny new app and some brilliant district captains who will lead the charge. Many thanks to Rob and the team and to everyone who supports us. I am supposed to be impartial but the Weirs will be joining Team South – bring it on! ”
For more information about Doddie Aid, visit the Doddie Aid website.
