Sibling duel raised more than DKK 141,000 for corona research at Aarhus University

Corona Challenge from Health Kommunikation on Vimeo.

The weekend's race in, alongside and on the River Gudenå had more than one winner. Big sister Line Brandt Pedersen crossed the finishing line first following 2.4 kilometres of swimming, 33 kilometres cycling and 35.5 kilometres running. Less than fifteen minutes later, little brother Mads Brandt Pedersen rowed under the blue bridge in Randers, where the third of the day’s winners, Professor Søren Riis Paludan, was waiting to welcome the two athletes. Søren Riis Paludan is a winner in that he will receive the more than DKK 140,000 raised during and following the race along the River Gudenå.

"On behalf of the research team, I'm very honoured to receive this money. It’s touching that Line and Mads are willing to use their energy and commitment to contribute to the research into a new vaccine against COVID-19," says Søren Riis Paludan.

The donation will be used to purchase a microscope for the corona laboratory at the Department of Biomedicine at Aarhus University.

"Doing research is expensive and although we’ve received a special grant for research into the coronavirus, we still lack equipment. Now we will have money to purchase some and we’re very pleased about this," says Søren Riis Paludan.

The duel between the siblings, triathlete and European champion Line and World champion in kayak Mads Brandt Pedersen, began in Silkeborg on Saturday 9 May.

Line Brandt Pedersen ran across the finish line at Jackson's lawn in Randers four and a half hours later.

That was twelve minutes faster than her five year younger little brother Mads Brandt Pedersen, who rowed all the way in his kayak.

Søren Riis Paludan’s daughter Stine had made diplomas for the athletes, which she presented herself.

Images: Bo Amstrup/Scanpix

Contact

Professor
Søren Riis Paludan
srp@biomed.au.dk
28 99 20 66