Marathon Brothers Run Ireland in Race to Find Dementia Cure

(FILES) British runner Jordan Adams carries a fridge at the start of the 2026 London Marathon at Blackheath in south-east London on April 26, 2026. (Photo by Toby Shepheard / AFP)
(FILES) British runner Jordan Adams carries a fridge at the start of the 2026 London Marathon at Blackheath in south-east London on April 26, 2026. (Photo by Toby Shepheard / AFP)
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Marathon Brothers Run Ireland in Race to Find Dementia Cure

(FILES) British runner Jordan Adams carries a fridge at the start of the 2026 London Marathon at Blackheath in south-east London on April 26, 2026. (Photo by Toby Shepheard / AFP)
(FILES) British runner Jordan Adams carries a fridge at the start of the 2026 London Marathon at Blackheath in south-east London on April 26, 2026. (Photo by Toby Shepheard / AFP)

Jordan Adams, who ran the London marathon with a 25-kilogram fridge on his back last weekend, is now running around Ireland in a race to find a cure for a form of dementia both he and his brother are near certain to contract.

"This mission is ongoing, as is our family's devastation with dementia, one step at a time," Adams told a crowd who gathered to see him off on Wednesday in County Donegal, their latest stop.

The 30-year-old is running consecutive daily marathons for 32 days in each of Ireland's 32 counties -- north and south of the Irish border -- with the finish in Dublin on May 28. Without the fridge, though.

Assisted by his younger brother Cian, 25, who will mostly cycle the routes, the pair started in County Antrim in Northern Ireland on Monday, just a day after completing the 26.2-mile-long (42 kilometers) course in London.

Nicknamed the FTD brothers, their mother Geraldine was diagnosed in 2010 aged 47 with a rare form of familial Frontal Temporal Dementia, AFP reported.

Overnight, Cian, then aged just 9, Jordan as a 15-year-old, their older sister and father became primary carers of their mum who died at 52 in 2016.

Two years later, Jordan learned he carries the MAT-T gene mutation which gives him a 99.9 percent chance of developing the same early-onset dementia.

Soon after Cian tested positively for the same gene.

With terminal symptoms expected to aggressively emerge in their 40s, the brothers face a stark race against time.

"What makes this disease even more cruel is that we've lost twelve Irish relatives, including my mum and Nan," Jordan, from the English Midlands, told AFP.

"We wanted to come to Ireland where all the devastation started, to honour our Irish relatives," he said.

Running with a fridge on board in London was "surreal", said Jordan, who did the stunt to bring attention to the disease.

But with Cian alongside to douse him with water, they reached the finish line together.

"We both share the same diagnosis and the same future, so I know our mum was shining down with a lot of pride," Jordan told AFP.

The brothers are not new to extreme challenges.

They ran around the United Kingdom two years ago, while Jordan has a seven-in-seven-days marathon challenge under his belt.

Undaunted by the Irish 32-in-32 test, Cian said it "comes in handy that he works as a physiotherapist.

"We've put together a good plan over the last six months, strength and conditioning, plyometrics, running training to get Jordan in the best nick possible for this challenge," Cian told AFP.

"Touch wood, at the moment his legs feel good for it," he said.

The brothers have set themselves the goal of raising one million pounds in their mother's honor, and for research into an Alzheimer's cure that could save them.

After London, they are almost halfway there.

Carol Molloy, who helps run the local branch of the Alzheimer Society of Ireland (ASI), told AFP that around 64,000 people are living with dementia in the EU member.

An estimated one in 10 of those have a young-onset diagnosis, with that number expected to grow to around 150,000 by 2050, according to Molloy.

Some 50 percent of the proceeds of the brothers' marathon challenge will go to the ASI.

"What Jordan and Cian are doing is amazing, we are so grateful," said Molloy.

Dozens of local people joined the pair on their run, at least part of the way.

One participant Sean McFadden, a runner from Letterkenny who recently lost his father to dementia, said he would complete the full marathon route alongside the brothers in solidarity.

"We have to hold our hearts out to the two lads and hope everything goes well," said the 50-year-old.

"It's a hard disease. For me today to be able to join in with the boys, it's quite special," he told AFP before setting off.



Portugal Changes How No. 7 Is Written to Honor Cristiano Ronaldo

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring the 1-2 goal during the FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Hungary, in Budapest, Hungary, 09 September 2025. (EPA)
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring the 1-2 goal during the FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Hungary, in Budapest, Hungary, 09 September 2025. (EPA)
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Portugal Changes How No. 7 Is Written to Honor Cristiano Ronaldo

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring the 1-2 goal during the FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Hungary, in Budapest, Hungary, 09 September 2025. (EPA)
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring the 1-2 goal during the FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Hungary, in Budapest, Hungary, 09 September 2025. (EPA)

The Portugal football team is making a change to how the No. 7 is written to honor the recently-retired Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo, who wore the number and went on to make it his own as “CR7,” retired from international soccer last week, ending a remarkable career that spanned six World Cups, a European title, and the men’s all-time international scoring record.

“Time to debut a new 7. Because there’s one that will be eternal,” the Portuguese national team wrote on social media on Saturday. The post included a goat emoji to signify “Greatest Of All Time.”

It also included a video that showed a horizontal crossed line through the No. 7 as it’s commonly written in Europe, suggesting that Ronaldo’s successors will all have that cross to bear when they wear the number.

Portugal, already assured of reaching the quarterfinals, was hosting Denmark in the Nations League later Saturday.

The 41-year-old Ronaldo quit on Nov. 5 after falling out with coach Jorge Jesus. His last appearance with Portugal was Sept. 24 in a 1-0 home win over Wales in the Nations League.

Jesus kept him on the bench for the following match and said he didn’t plan to start him in the next one, so the superstar forward decided to leave the team’s training camp.

Jesus later said Ronaldo would be welcome back and the decision to return was up to him.


Ronaldinho Poised for Ravenna Start and, Perhaps, One Last Goal

Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho waves during Ravenna FC’s team presentation for the 2026-27 season in Marina di Ravenna, Italy, Aug. 20, 2026. (AFP)
Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho waves during Ravenna FC’s team presentation for the 2026-27 season in Marina di Ravenna, Italy, Aug. 20, 2026. (AFP)
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Ronaldinho Poised for Ravenna Start and, Perhaps, One Last Goal

Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho waves during Ravenna FC’s team presentation for the 2026-27 season in Marina di Ravenna, Italy, Aug. 20, 2026. (AFP)
Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho waves during Ravenna FC’s team presentation for the 2026-27 season in Marina di Ravenna, Italy, Aug. 20, 2026. (AFP)

Ronaldinho will roll back the years this weekend when the 46-year-old Brazilian starts his first competitive match in over a decade, and in the unlikely setting of an Italian third-tier derby the World Cup winner may realize his dream of scoring one last time.

The Brazil great and Ballon d'Or winner signed for Ravenna in June, also taking a stake in the club, but because he had not played since his final appearance for Fluminense in 2015, doubts remained over whether fans would ever see him in action.

Ravenna revealed ‌three weeks ago ‌that the former Barcelona and AC Milan player ‌would ⁠make his return ⁠in Sunday's home clash with local rivals Forli, and on Friday, manager Andrea Mandorlini told reporters that Ronaldinho would start the match.

"He will play from the start, there's no doubt," Mandorlini said.

"Then together we will decide how long he plays. He is one of the greatest players of the modern era. And we have to get a ⁠result. We always play with three forwards. He will ‌be one of the three."

Ronaldinho was ‌welcomed by the Ravenna fans in August, without committing to a return ‌to the pitch. He returned to Italy on Friday afternoon and ‌will have just one training session with his teammates on Saturday before making his club debut.

A temporary stand has been erected at the Stadio Bruno Benelli to cater for the crowd, and if this does turn out ‌to be one last hurrah for Ronaldinho, he may well get the chance to score his 300th ⁠professional goal.

"I ⁠scored my first Italian goal in the derby," Ronaldinho told Corriere della Sera, referring to his first official goal for AC Milan, which came against Inter Milan.

"It was a special evening that will remain in the memory of all AC Milan fans. It was September 28, 2008. I scored with a header, which is not my specialty. Who knows if I'll be able to repeat that feat tomorrow."

"... Returning to the pitch at 46 is the best move of my career."

Simone Rabbi will play alongside the Brazilian up front for Ravenna, and in Friday's press conference he said that if his side are awarded a penalty on Sunday, Ronaldinho will take the spot kick.


Andreeva Says She Is Learning to Move on Faster from Defeats After WTA Finals Sweep

Mirra Andreeva plays Diana Shnaider during day six of the FAGE WTA Finals at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on November 13, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
Mirra Andreeva plays Diana Shnaider during day six of the FAGE WTA Finals at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on November 13, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Andreeva Says She Is Learning to Move on Faster from Defeats After WTA Finals Sweep

Mirra Andreeva plays Diana Shnaider during day six of the FAGE WTA Finals at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on November 13, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
Mirra Andreeva plays Diana Shnaider during day six of the FAGE WTA Finals at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on November 13, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)

Mirra Andreeva said she has learned to recover more quickly from setbacks after the Russian teenager completed an unbeaten run through the WTA Finals round-robin stage on Friday.

Andreeva won her third group-stage match in straight sets after a late opponent change, having already secured a semi-final berth. The 19-year-old said the match against tournament alternate Diana Shnaider presented a new mental challenge because her progression was guaranteed, but she still wanted to preserve her momentum.

"Before the tournament started I was afraid ‌that I ‌wouldn't win a match in the group," ‌Andreeva ⁠told reporters. "Now you ⁠see how it turned out."

The victory set up a first career meeting with American Jessica Pegula on Saturday. Andreeva described Pegula as one of the calmest players on tour and said coach Conchita Martinez would help prepare a detailed tactical plan.

Andreeva's poise in the desert marked a contrast with her emotional ⁠exit from Indian Wells in March, when ‌she lost her title defense ‌to Katerina Siniakova. Frustrated by the defeat, Andreeva launched into a profanity-laced ‌tirade toward spectators and was booed as she left ‌the court.

The French Open champion said her response to losses has changed significantly over the course of the season.

"Before it was super bad. I was very dramatic," Andreeva said. "It would take me a ‌good two, three days. I wouldn't talk to anybody. I would just sit in the ⁠room locked ⁠up, not wanting to practice."

Now, she said, disappointment generally lasts a day at most before the demands of the tour force her attention back to training or the next match.

Andreeva said the Indian Wells setback came while she was trying to incorporate changes made in practice into her match play, which produced inconsistency and frustration. She said continued work on court, along with sessions with psychologists, helped her make progress.

The results have followed. Andreeva won her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros this year and arrived at the WTA Finals for her singles debut after a 50-win season.