A-K-A-DAY is a virtual charity challenge designed to encourage and support your health and wellbeing throughout the month of May and beyond.

The aim of the challenge is to inspire people of all ages and abilities to get out and move for at least 1km each day. Walk, run, skate, cycle, roll – you can cover the distance any way you want to, so long as the power comes from you! You can also choose a combination of activities; run one day and walk the next, so long as you cover the daily distance. There are a variety of distances to suit any age and level of fitness ranging from a half km challenge for our youngest participants right up to 5km for those looking to clock up some serious miles over the course of the month.

The challenge is in loving memory of Robert Rowan who was tragically taken from us in November 2018 at just 28 years of age. Robert was a football fanatic and was immensely proud to be employed as Technical Director for Brentford Football Club. In recognition of his passion for the Club, A-K-A-Day has adopted a bee theme for the challenge. Sign up now!

Robert’s life was cut short due to an undiagnosed heart condition and he passed away in his sleep. Whilst it may be easy to assume that this kind of tragedy is rare, unfortunately the number of seemingly fit and healthy people dying from cardiac issues in the UK is all too common. In fact, it is estimated that around 12 people under the age of 35 die each week in the UK, from undiagnosed heart conditions. The aim of this event is to raise awareness of the prevalence of cardiac deaths in young people and in addition raise money for a charity dedicated to preventing young sudden cardiac deaths.

CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) are committed to reducing this number through awareness, screening, and research. The charity also offer support to those families and friends, like Robert’s, who have been affected by a sudden loss. CRY have a dedicated fund set up in Robert’s name and the money raised from this event will be given directly to this fund in order to facilitate heart screening sessions for young people in our local communities.

A-K-A-Day are asking for a £15 donation to take part in the challenge to support CRY. There is discount available for our Bumble Bees as detailed below.

The Hive

At the end of May, you’ll receive an email form to complete, which will ask for evidence that you have completed the challenge. There are various ways to record your workouts from well-known apps like Strava and Map My Run to a more traditional paper tracker. How you record your distance is up to you, we only need to see evidence such as a screenshot, picture or spreadsheet showing you have completed the distance. Once the evidence has been submitted and verified, you will receive a bespoke A-K-A-DAY medal in the post (pictured above). Visit A-K-A-Day’s Frequently Asked Questions page for more information on evidence submission. Sign up for the challenge here.

In 2019, we travelled to Robert’s hometown of Kirkaldy, Scotland, to visit his family and friends. Watch Forever 28, our documentary on Robert’s life and legacy, below.