Mason's mega gym wish with Eddie Hall
We granted Mason's wish to have a gym session with former World's Strongest Man and his fitness hero: Eddie Hall!
Meet Mason
11-year-old Mason is a keen gym-goer and has dreams of having a fitness channel on YouTube.
Mason was born with spina bifida – a condition which affects the spine and nervous system and means he uses a wheelchair to get around most of the time.
When he’s not at gym or school, he loves playing ice hockey.
“Even though his health is a challenge for him, you’d never know from speaking with him,” says Mason’s mum Kelsie. “He loves being active and pushing himself.”
Why Mason chose the wish
Mason has been a loyal fan of 2017 World’s Strongest Man Eddie Hall for many years. His mum says she usually finds him watching Eddie’s YouTube videos before falling asleep.
“He really is Mason’s inspiration,” explains Kelsie. When his family were introduced to Rays of Sunshine, it didn’t take Mason long to decide he wanted to meet his hero for his wish.
“I don’t think it really sank in for Mason, when I told him that Rays of Sunshine had organised his dream wish for him,” Kelsie adds. “It wasn’t until he actually turned up at the gym on the day of his wish and saw Eddie that he realised it was really happening.”
<I think that’s the coolest thing that will ever happen to me!>
On the day
Eddie kicked off Mason’s wish with a masterclass in how to arm-wrestle, where he taught him all his top tips!
The pair then hit the gym, where Eddie took Mason through an accessible gym routine. After being guided through some bench press exercises, Mason even managed to achieve a personal best!
“It meant so much to Mason that Eddie didn’t hold back because of his disability,” says Kelsie. “Mason felt so confident knowing that Eddie believed in his ability in the gym.”
Having worked up an appetite after their workout, there was only one thing for it: Eddie took Mason through a McDonald’s drive-thru on his iconic tank!
When he got off, Mason said: “I think that’s the coolest thing that will ever happen to me!”
The impact of the wish
“Mason was really struggling with his confidence before his wish,” says Kelsie. “His disability can make life hard and sometimes other people aren’t understanding of him.”
“But something has changed in him since his wish,” she says, adding that she saw him properly smile for the first time in months after his wish. “He’s hopeful and motivated to keep doing what he loves.”
Kelsie says she often sees Mason looking over the pictures and videos from his wish. And he’s more determined than ever to achieve his dream of being a fitness YouTuber.
“I’ll never be able to thank Eddie and Rays of Sunshine for the gift you’ve given my son.”
