Duchenne UK Launches ‘World’s Strongest Boys’

Duchenne UK is launching a new video fundraising and awareness campaign for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) called ‘The World’s Strongest Boys’.

The campaign is already supported by British sports celebrities including Jessica Ennis-Hill and Owen Farrell to help boys living with DMD think like heroes by focusing on their inner strength and spirit.

DMD is a progressive muscle-degenerative disease that leads to muscle wasting and eventual physical inactivity. Duchenne UK aims to shed light on the reality of challenges that DMD patients live with every day – struggles that make people with Duchenne stronger by far than others.

The campaign launched with short films from famous athletes and performers that showcase incredible feats of physical strength. In each film the athletes say “if you think that’s strong, check out the World’s Strongest Boys” (clip above). Pivotal to the campaign is a 60-second film where the true identities of the World’s Strongest Boys are revealed through the eyes of 10-year old Alex Hallam.

Other ‘World’s Strongest Boys’ include Gavriel Rosenfeld, Saul Catlin and Joey Lavene.

Additional videos hope top inspire people to use their own muscles to help boys who are losing theirs by buying fitness products, protein shakers or t-shirts; or by registering to participate in a series of sporting events planned for the campaign.

‘World’s Strongest Girls’ t-shirts are also available.

Viewers can meet the Strongest Boys through the campaign’s official website, and are invited to post videos of themselves on social media performing feats of strengths to encourage more participation and spread the word. All monetary proceeds will be used to fund research programs.

Campaign films were directed by George Balfield and Kuba Wiexzorek, who photographed Channel 4’s ‘Superhumans’ campaign for the 2012 Paralympics.

“There are around 2,500 people in the UK living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy including our sons, Eli and Jack. Although they have weak muscles, they, like all patients with DMD – are anything but weak,” Emily Crossley and Alex Johnson, the co-Founders and Directors of Duchenne UK, said in a press release. “The incredible strength and defiance they show to not let Duchenne get the better of them, is awe-inspiring. We are at a potentially breakthrough moment in the history of this disease, and treatments are on the horizon. . .  join our fight to end Duchenne.”