Jack Wilshere initiates ‘Uppies for Autism’ challenge

Arsenal and England footballer Jack Wilshere has initiated a sporting challenge – ‘Uppies for Autism’ – to raise awareness of autism and funds for The Autism Trust.

In response to the challenge laid down by Billy Tommey, a young man aged 17 with autism, Wilshire took on the test of showing off his footballing skills, which involves seeing how many times you can ‘keep up’ the ball using feet, knees, head and shoulders – but not hands – without the ball touching the ground.

Wilshere then challenged World and Olympic 5,000m and 10,000m champion Mo Farah and Arsenal colleagues Calum Chambers, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain plus David Beckham.

Chambers went on to show what he could do and extended the challenge to Arsenal’s Danny Welbeck, Wojciech Szczesny, and Southampton’s Nathaniel Clyne and Harrison Reed.

Uppies for Autism is a campaign that aims to raise awareness of the challenges faced by individuals with autism, as well as how The Autism Trust will address those challenges and improve the lives of all individuals impacted by autism, including their families.

The campaign will raise funds and support to achieve The Autism Trust’s mission of on-going operations in its Sunninghill location, as well as building a facility in the UK and United States that will provide vocational, educational, wellness and semi-independent resources for individuals with autism. These facilities, combined with other resources, will provide futures with purpose for all individuals with autism.

Each participant is sharing videos and setting out their passed-on challenge on Facebook and Twitter with ?#?uppiesforautism and through The Autism Trust’s website – www.theautismtrust.org.uk and www.theautismtrust.org.??

LDT Editor

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