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16 Headlines STEWART MOTORSPORT continues rally legend’s legacy Malcolm Stewart was a passionate and well-known rally driver based in Hawkes Bay. He is the most prolific competitor of Rally New Zealand ever, having contested it 29 times. In 1985 he was the first New Zealander home in fifth place in the International Rally of New Zealand. H e lived life in the fast lane, then, only 12 months after being diagnosed with MND, sadly passed away in 2009. “When we received the devastating diagnosis of MND your world stops in an instant and your lives are changed forever,” says Malcolm’s wife Sue Stewart, who set up Stewart Motorsport to continue his legacy and to raise awareness of the MND Association and the Neurological Foundation. “After he was diagnosed we carried on as normally as possible but unfortunately, Malcolm deteriorated very quickly. We only had a year from diagnosis to Malcolm's death. He had been unable to speak for six months which was the worst part of the hideous disease.” His old crew threw their support behind Stewart Motorsport, so far restoring four of Malcolm’s old cars to race in his memory. Their latest project is restoring Malcolm’s beloved Peugeot 106. “They (the cars) all come out for the odd event and it’s a wonderful way to remember Malcolm and promote MND,” Sue says proudly. "By doing something we all love, we are able to help and promote two very worthy causes.” “The help we received from MND New Zealand, the Neurological Foundation, our local hospice and our doctor was brilliant, the only thing they could not do was cure Malcolm.” Late rally legend Malcolm Stewart with his wife Sue. CRAIG’S STORY An innocent visit to his GP to check a weakness in his left hand led to a diagnosis of motor neuron disease (MND) for CraigWaalkens. “I’d noticed a wasting of the muscle between my left thumb and left forefinger and some reduction in strength in the remaining fingers of the left hand,” said Craig, who was diagnosed in May 2021. “When my MND was confirmed I thought ‘well that's not the diagnosis I was wanting’ quickly followed by ‘well that's a challenge for me and how am I going to take it on’." He focussed on learning as much as he could about MNDwith the help of his “wonderful” specialist Dr Alison Charleston and support agencies. “I received great medical support from Rope Neuro Rehabilitation and Handworks which allowed me to continue doing the things I love, and MND NZ is a wonderful organisation that has also been beneficial for me.” Craig had to get his head around the life-changing diagnosis quickly, bearing the awful weight of an average life expectancy of only three to five years. “That's how horrendous MND can be on people’s lives. It's a shocking disease.” Thankfully, his MND so far has progressed relatively slowly, allowing Craig to get involved in raising awareness for MND. Last year he was part of a social media campaign alongside celebrities Annabel Langbein, Bernadine Oliver-Kerby, Sam Johnson, Te Radar and Simon Dallow. He has been buoyed by the incredible support from his wife of 34-years Robyn, their two adult children and his wider family. And as the former Managing Director of a manufacturing company, he has been blown away by the support from his old team members. He adds: “Research into MND is imperative. It will hopefully provide answers and lead to the development of cures for this terrible disease.”