Point to Pinnacle tame compared to George’s challenge

The McNees family are climbing mountains for four-year-old George, inspired by his bravery and courage.

THEY will run, walk, perhaps even crawl exhaustedly across the finish line.

But Darren and Sarah McNees know whatever they endure in Sunday’s Point to Pinnacle is nothing compared with the courage their son George, 4, shows each day.

“It will be tough, but I would walk up that mountain every day of the year if it meant we could help find a cure for cancer and if it meant it would help George get better,” Mrs McNees said.

The Howrah couple says George is their inspiration as they tackle today’s 21km climb from Wrest Point to the top of kunanyi/Mt Wellington. Darren is aiming to run his first half marathon while Sara, who last did the event 18 years ago, is going to walk.

They will also be raising money for brain cancer research, sponsors getting behind the couple as George faces another round of treatment for an aggressive tumour first identified when he was just 11 months old.

The family of four – George has an older sister Arabella, 6, – will soon relocate to Melbourne to help George participate in a new chemotherapy trial at the Royal Children’s Hospital.

A recent scan showed George’s brain tumour has again grown, despite the rounds of surgery, chemotherapy, stem cell and radiation treatments he has gone through in the past three years.

“This is a new chemo trial in Australia … for us, it’s all about hope. The hope that we can get more time to spend with him,” Mrs McNees said.

While George is not currently receiving treatment, he has been quite active and able to play the sports he loves – cricket, tennis and golf.

“He’s actually a bit like the Energiser bunny,” Mrs McNees said.

“We’re just absolutely cherishing this time with him at the moment.

“He looks well on the outside and yes, he’s pretty active, but I know what’s really going on on the inside, and that’s still really hard to cope with.”

A record field of 3200 people is taking part in the 25th Point to Pinnacle today, with a further 1200 in the 10km Point to Pub.

Event co-ordinator Tim Smith said many entrants were using the event as a platform for fundraising, with the potential for hundreds of thousands of dollars to be going to medical research and other good causes.

“The fundraising has become a huge part of it,” Mr Smith said.

“It has opened doors for a lot of people who aren’t necessarily athletes, but they can go into this not only with the goal to prove something to themselves, but of doing something really good for their community as well.”

The Point to Pinnacle includes media personality Carrie Bickmore, whose profile has helped pledges of about $200,000 towards the Beanies 4 Brain Cancer charity.

She is also looking to increase awareness of the disease by filming a segment for her television current affairs show, The Project.

Comedian Tommy Little, a friend and work colleague of Bickmore, is also in Hobart and intending to run.

The McNees family story is expected to be part of the The Project special and Mrs McNees said Bickmore’s support had been uplifting.

“It brings so much hope and strength to the cause that someone of her profile is getting behind it and that she is so passionate about making a difference and trying to find a cure,” Mrs McNees said.

Bickmore, who established the Beanies 4 Brain Cancer after losing her husband Greg to the disease, was moved to tears last week when she spoke on radio with Mrs McNees.

“One of the main purposes of my foundation, Sarah, is to help develop treatments like this because as you said there is no cure currently, but new, effective treatments are coming on board all the time, and then that then allows more time with our loved ones and hopefully in that time we can find a cure,” Bickmore said.

The McNees family has established a George McNees GoFundMe page if anyone can offer assistance click here.