This spring, five local golfers set out to play an unprecedented round of golf. The goal? to raise money and awareness for a rare genetic disorder, Phelan-McDermid Syndrome.
Golfers Zach Brunet, Philip Robertson, Lex Mickle, Alex Graziani, and Derek Frail participated in the 2024 fundraiser, Endure4Eden (E4E). The team would successfully complete a 24-hour endurance golf challenge in Alma at Eagle Crest Golf Course. The goal was to raise $10k through donations and auctions. However, the team exceeded that amount by raising over $12k.
Not only did the team exceed their fundraising goal, but they also shattered personal records. “We started at 8 a.m. on a Friday (April 12) and finished at 8 a.m., Saturday,” shared Mickle. “We walked over 65 miles and 8,000 ft. elevation total.”
Mickle and the extreme golfing team shattered their own personal bests, as well as those in the Guinness World Records. (RNN photos / Lex Mickle)
To land a world record in Guinness, the team had to beat 180 holes. They completed 200, all in a 24- hour time span. The team was also required to video their attempt and have two witnesses present at all times.
On Tuesday, July 23, Robertson received an email from Guinness World Records that the Endure4Eden challenge was officially recognized as a successful world record.
Robertson initiated E4E in hopes of bringing awareness to the rare condition and for his daughter, Eden. Robertson was recently honored for his unique fundraising efforts at a Phelan McDermid Foundation Syndrome family conference.
Another member of the golfing team, Brunet, has a sister who is also impacted by the condition.
The Phelan McDermid Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing hope, help and answers by supporting and connecting families, improving medical care, and driving research breakthroughs. E4E raises money and awareness through athletic and endurance challenges to benefit the Phelan-McDermid Foundation.
Guinness World Record holders! (RNN photo / Lex Mickle)
