Sonny Butler, 28, and his younger brother Oscar, 22, will take on the Cape Town Marathon in May 2026 to raise money for Alzheimer’s Research UK.
Their mum, Tracey, was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) last year at just 56-years-old – the same aggressive condition affecting actor Bruce Willis.
It is most common in people under 60 and attacks the parts of the brain that control language, behaviour and decision-making.
Tracey was first diagnosed three years ago, whilst Sonny and Oscar were both living in Australia.
Sonny explained: “My mum’s health has deteriorated quite quickly.
“The dementia is quite aggressive.
“There were weird behavioural changes, and over the last year it has really picked up.
“She still recognises us – when she sees us, she gives us a hug.
“She’s got a smile on her face but has lost her ability to communicate.”
Tracey’s diagnosis was especially cruel given the life she had always led, as Oscar said she was “very fitness orientated”, and even took part in the London Marathon in 2012.
Sonny said: “No one deserves this, but she was always fit and looked after herself.
“It doesn’t run in the family, so it was a bizarre case.
“She was very sociable – she was a bit of a face in Eltham.
“When her friends go and visit her, they’re like her.
“It’s sad as they’re the same age and mentally sound, but she’s not there.”
Training for a marathon is no small task, but for Sonny, the cause makes every mile worth it.
Sonny told the News Shopper: “We’ve looked at doing a few different fundraisers – we wanted to put ourselves out there and we managed to get through.
“We’re going to go for 10 days and plan to make a holiday of it.
“It’s somewhere I wanted to go – I went when I was younger with mum and dad so it’s sentimental.”
Sonny said the fundraiser has given the brothers something to divert their energy in, and both boys have so far raised just over £300 towards their £4,000 goal.
You can donate to the fundraiser here
“I’ve never done one before – I have done a few 10ks but there is a bit of time between now and then. We’re looking at booking one before Christmas time”, Sonny added.
They hope their challenge will not only bring in vital funds for dementia research but also shine a light on families like theirs.
Sonny’s fundraiser page reads: “In 2026 I’ll be running my first ever marathon in Cape Town, South Africa.
“Over the last couple of years, things started to change.
“We watched her personality shift.
“Her words became harder to find.
“The mum we knew slowly started slipping away.
“FTD is a rare and devastating form of dementia that affects behaviour, language and decision making. There’s no treatment.
“No cure. Just a slow, painful decline.
“That’s why I’m running the Cape Town Marathon next year. I’m doing it for her.”
