Nine-year-old schoolboys tackle triathlon to raise funds for a girl their age who is fighting brain cancer

Nine year olds William Flynn, and his friends George Dickson and Pip Barlow who are all in Year 4 at Oswestry School Prep came up with the idea of holding the fundraising event during a walk to forest school. Will wanted a way to show support for his cousin Freya, an incredible bright funny and compassionate young girl from Wrexham, who is fighting a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer.

The fundraising which took place at and near the school in Oswestry saw George swim an impressive 2km, Pip cycle 21 km and then Will run 5Km all on a very warm Sunday 29 June 2025.

Hannah Flynn, William’s mother and Freya’s aunt said: “In January 2025, Freya was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer. It’s the kind of news no one should ever have to hear about a child they love, and while there is currently no cure, we are holding onto hope that more time will bring us closer to one.

"Extraordinary strength"

“Despite the overwhelming challenges she’s faced, Freya has shown extraordinary strength and courage. She’s already endured multiple hospital stays, surgeries, ICU treatment, and intensive radiotherapy. The cancer has robbed her of the ability to walk, but her spirit remains unbroken. Every day, Freya works hard to regain her strength, all while continuing to smile and light up the lives of everyone around her. She is determined to play with her friends again, and to someday return to her gymnastics, where she once excelled.”

The family are fundraising in the hope of getting Freya into a clinical trial abroad if she does not qualify for one in the UK and also to look for other potential options to prolong her life whilst waiting for a cure.

Hannah added: “In America patients are being told to prolong life as much as possible as a cure is on the way but it’s a bleaker message in the UK. Her parents can’t accept the diagnosis means that’s it. Being told to go “make memories” as there is nothing, they can do is just the worst news.”

Fund treatment and travel to physiotherapy

The money raised will also be used to fund treatment and travel to physiotherapy, which she is having privately because NHS cannot support her needs as well as anything from holidays or experiences and items to keep Freya entertained and give her the best quality of life possible  as she cannot go to school so the days are long.”

It is a horrendous disease which is unpredictable and aggressive as the tumour could reactivate at any stage and she would then go downhill very quickly.

From diagnosis in January, within 3/4 weeks whilst waiting for radiotherapy she went downhill very quickly she could hardly walk and breathe unaided and ended up in ICU incubated as it was the only safe was to administer the radiotherapy.

Hannah said: “We were told she might not wake up, so we all had to say our goodbyes at her hospital bedside before she was put to sleep. Thankfully she did wake up and she has improved more than we could have imagined. However, although the tumour has shrunk it is still there and it’s inevitable it will reactivate at some stage.”

Freya has works tirelessly to get her strength back as she lost the ability to control her right side. She can now use her left hand to write and draw just as well as she did with her right and is always pushing herself in physio and out of physio to do better and better.

Hannah added “I am in total awe of her strength she is amazing, and I am very proud of all the boys for their strength and fundraising efforts which were totally their own idea and which they carried out brilliantly despite it being a really hot day.”

You can donate to the boys fundraising efforts and support Freya but donating at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/freya-fights?utm_medium=CR&utm_source=WA.