A 5-year-old boy with an undiagnosed neurological condition that affects his balance and motor skills has raised more than $100,000 for charity by walking around his home.
Gregor Corse, who lives in Scotland’s Orkney Islands, was born with the condition and took longer than expected to achieve developmental milestones during infancy and toddlerhood.
“He was about 2 ½ when he started crawling and almost 4 when he started walking,” his mom, Iona, tells PEOPLE.
Gregor was motivated to practice walking after watching British snooker player Stephen Hendry on YouTube. “Gregor has a little pool table,” Iona explains. “I was sitting in front of the TV when he said, ‘Mommy, I’d love to be able to walk around the table like Stephen Hendry.’ ” Iona helped him move around the table with his pool cue serving as a walking stick, until he eventually let go and walked by himself.
“I made him a reward chart, with little pool balls I’d painted and arranged in a triangle,” she tells PEOPLE. “If he walked from one room to the next, he could choose a ball and put it in the triangle. That really motivated him.”
Although Gregor started walking independently at home, he continued to use a walking frame outdoors. One day, however, he told his mom that he wanted to walk outside “like other boys and girls,” Iona recalls. He then set himself a challenge to complete 30 laps around their house each day for 30 days, with his mom assisting whenever he needed additional support.
“He originally thought he could do 50, but I didn’t want to make it too difficult,” she says.
They chose to raise money for Inclusive Orkney, a small community charity that helps children with additional needs.
“I was about to publish the JustGiving page when I wondered if it was silly to ask people to donate,” Iona admits. “I nearly closed it, but then I thought that even a couple of hundred pounds would be better than nothing.”
Gregor wore a kilt on the opening day of his challenge. The following day, he put on a jacket bearing a local business’s logo, prompting Iona to consider involving more companies.
“I asked Gregor to name the local businesses that meant something to him, and we made a list,” she says. “Fueled by adrenaline, I messaged them to ask if they’d sponsor a day. Everyone was delighted to do it.”
Within days, the challenge began attracting attention. Neighbors offered to participate, local media reported on Gregor’s efforts, and police officers and firefighters came to show their support.
“It became an event for Gregor, not just a walking challenge,” Iona explained.
Asked about his favorite part of the challenge, Gregor tells PEOPLE, “It makes me strong,” adding that he particularly enjoyed seeing the fire engine and lorry arrive.
For Iona, seeing her son finish the challenge was an emotional experience.
“There was so much support, and people gave Gregor gifts,” she explains. “He’d never had anything like that before. ‘Heartwarming’ is probably the best word.”
A 5-year-old boy in Scotland has raised more than $100,000 for charity by walking daily laps around his house
Gregor has raised more than £80,000 (about $106,000) so far. His fundraising efforts also earned him the title of Good Morning Britain Youngest Fundraiser of the Year at the 2026 Pride of Britain Awards.
Iona recalls bursting into tears when she learned he had won. The call came after she had dropped him off at preschool, on the 19th anniversary of her grandmother’s death.
“I was thinking how much I wished she could see Gregor and how proud she’d be,” Iona says, remembering when someone from Pride of Britain contacted her.
“I never expected it. To me, he’s the most phenomenal boy in the world, but there are so many other children doing amazing things that you hear about on Pride of Britain,” she explains. “I never, in my wildest dreams, thought he’d win.”
Although Iona is unsure whether Gregor fully understands what the award means, he is looking forward to the ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel on Monday, Oct. 19. He may also continue fundraising, as he has already asked his mom whether he can take on another challenge to help others.
“For a child of 4 or 5 to say he wants to do another fundraiser to help people, I think that shows how much this has done for his mindset,” she says.
Gregor has a simple message for everyone who has supported him: “Thank you.”