Walking for the little Lion man

A FORMER Torquay resident and passionate mother is hoping to unite the Surf Coast community to raise vital awareness of a rare genetic disorder with no current cure.

Registrations are now open for the 2025 Lions Walk, an annual campaign aimed at raising funds and awareness of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).

The Lions Walk will be held on November 8 and see more than 100 people walk from Bells to Aireys Inlet in a display of strength and hope for a future without DMD.

The event is named after brave five-year-old local Leo ‘Lion’ Balzer, who only two years ago was diagnosed with the condition.

DMD affects 1 in 5,000 male births worldwide and is characterised by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness due to the alterations of a protein called dystrophin.

This protein helps keep muscle cells intact and muscles functioning.

A child with DMD will most likely lose the ability to walk between the ages of 10-14, requiring an electric wheelchair before their early teens.

 

By their late teens to early twenties, they often require support with breathing, sometimes requiring ventilatory support 24 hours a day.

Leo’s mother Jacquie Balzer said the local support for the event continues to be “overwhelming”.

“It’s definitely stacking up to be a big event with all the things we have planned.

“Last year was a lot about the funds… we raised $27,000 which was just mind-blowing. This year there is a more of a focus on just the awareness.

“People are signing up that we don’t even know… it’s amazing people want to jump on board to help our boy and others with Duchenne. It makes us very emotional.”

After the walk, there will be live entertainment, raffles and silent auctions at the Aireys Inlet Pub.

Donations are welcomed before and after the event.

For more information, head to @lions.walk on Instagram and Facebook.