Aidan Leverage Takes on Brutal 2000m Rowing Challenge to Support Epilepsy Charity

Aidan Leverage, a student at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge who originally comes from Lutterworth, is competing at the British Rowing Indoor Championships (BRIC) this year to raise money for the charity, Epilepsy Action.

He will be taking on one of the toughest fitness challenges there is at the event, the 2000m rowing test, which is widely regarded as one of the hardest tests of endurance and grit. The charity is close to Adian’s heart as he lives with epilepsy himself and as a young child was hospitalised more than 13 times while struggling to find the right medication to control his seizures.

The championships will take place in December at the NEC, Birmingham and Aidan is already training hard. He is encouraging supporters to follow his training on his Strava, an activity tracking platform for athletes. Aidan’s current personal best practice time for the 2000m rowing test is 6 minutes and 32 seconds and if he can pull this off at BRIC that will place him in the top 15 in his category as it currently stands.

Epilepsy Action is at the forefront of helping people like Aidan. They provide life-changing support through their helpline, advice services, and community networks, as well as campaigning for better healthcare and greater awareness of epilepsy across the UK.

Around 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, making it one of the most common neurological diseases globally. It is estimated that up to 70% of people living with epilepsy could live seizure-free if properly diagnosed and treated.

If you would like to support Aidan’s fundraising efforts, you can do so through his JustGiving page. He is hoping to raise £1k for Epilepsy Action.

Aidan Leverage said: “When I was younger, I was often excluded from sports, sometimes because of my epilepsy but also because of the lack of understanding around it. Living with epilepsy brought a lot of uncertainty and I was even told by some doctors that I might never achieve anything academically or ever compete in sports.

“But here I am. Competing at a national level in a sport I love. Studying for a degree. Living proof that with the right support, and determination, you can defy the odds and go further than anyone thought possible.

“My message through this challenge is simple, anything is possible. Whether you have epilepsy or not, I want to inspire others to push beyond the limits of what they think they can achieve. The 2000m test is brutal but just like life with epilepsy, it’s about resilience, grit, and refusing to give up when the world appears to be against you.