Two Olympians, one from Tauranga and the other from Raglan, have teamed up for a gruelling challenge in an effort to change the lives of children born with clubfoot.

Tennis athlete Marcus Daniell (NZ Olympian #1264) and canoe sprint athlete Max Brown (NZ Olympian #1398) are running the Queenstown marathon on November 15.

What’s different about this challenge is that the pair will be wearing weighted vests, with every gram of weight in the vests determined by donations.

For every dollar given, the donor chooses whether to add 1 gram of weight or show mercy by removing it.

The fundraiser will support children born with clubfoot through the charity Miracle Feet.

Clubfoot is one of the most common birth defects and a major cause of physical disability globally.

The vast majority of cases are diagnosed at birth and occur in otherwise healthy babies.

It’s easily identifiable by the way the feet face inward and downward.

“We’ve both been super lucky to have made a living out of doing something active and using our bodies,” Daniell said.

“Thinking about kids who aren’t as lucky really pulls at the heartstrings, so to be able to give back feels like the right thing to do.”

Brown said their goal was to raise $85,000, which would fund 100 life-changing treatments.

“This will be my first ever marathon and I’m doing it with weight. Not the smartest idea, but a great opportunity for people to make Olympians suffer whilst changing kids’ lives,” Brown said.

“A lot of the amazing opportunities I’ve had in my life have come through movement, so to be able to help others with their mobility is pretty special.”

Brown said running with weights was brutal, but knowing it’ll help a kid walk freely makes it worthwhile.

“It’s definitely a challenge! We’re hoping to run with about 20kg of weight each but ultimately that depends on donations and whether our donors are feeling kind or if they’d rather see us suffer.”

Brown is based in Tauranga where he has been training, while Daniell is based in Raglan.

Daniell is a member of the International Olympic Committee’s Athletes’ Commission and is the founder of High Impact Athletes, which is an international organisation connecting athletes to the world’s most effective charities.

-Contributed content