An Aylesbury headteacher is preparing to take on a gruelling 70-mile ultra marathon tomorrow (13 June 2026) as the final stage of an extraordinary fundraising challenge for local children's charity Emmett's Genies.
Mike Pearse, Headteacher at Ashmead Combined School, has already completed a half marathon, a virtual London Marathon around the streets of Aylesbury in an impressive 3 hours and 26 minutes, and a half-Ironman in just 5 hours and 55 minutes.
Tomorrow's ultra marathon marks the final challenge in his ambitious fundraising campaign, which aims to raise money and awareness for critically and terminally ill children and their families. He will tackle the Wall - a 70 mile point to point endurance race that follows the historic Hadrian's Wall.
Mike is an ambassador for the charity and Ashmead is the school attended by Emmett O'Farrell, whose battle with Stage 4 cancer at the age of just two-and-a-half inspired the creation of Emmett's Genies.
Mike Pearse, Headteacher at Ashmead Combined School,
Following intensive treatment and a successful recovery, Emmett's family, friends and supporters established the volunteer-run charity, which provides practical support, special experiences and memory-making opportunities for families facing childhood illness.
One of the charity's flagship projects is its annual "Year in a Day" event, where families experience a full year of celebrations in just 24 hours. This year's event will be hosted at Ashmead Combined School after Mike stepped in to offer the venue free of charge when the charity's usual location became unavailable.
Amy Scullard, Founder and Chair of Emmett's Genies, praised Mike's commitment, describing him as an incredible supporter, role model and ambassador for the charity.
Mike Pearse, Headteacher at Ashmead Combined School, with Emmett.
She said his willingness to dedicate so much of his own time to fundraising had been remarkable and said the charity hoped the local community would get behind him as he takes on his toughest challenge yet.
Mike's fundraising efforts have already generated more than £3,000 for Emmett's Genies, helping the charity continue its work supporting critically and terminally ill children and their families across the region.
Anyone wishing to support Mike's challenge can donate via his JustGiving page:
https://www.justgiving.com/page/michael-pearse-3
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