If you have a child diagnosed with autism, the disorder becomes well and truly front and centre in your life. High profile couple Mat Rogers (ex-footballer) and Chloe Maxwell (TV presenter) know all too well the dark journey that parents face when their child is  diagnosed with autism.

When the pair first discovered their son Max was diagnosed with autism, there was a sense of helplessness and despair, but a decade later, they describe his situation as bright and filled with hope. The turning point came when Max started early therapy– he went from looking at his parents with disdain and throwing violent tantrums, to planting kisses on his parents’ faces.

The positive trajectory for Mat and Chloe’s son, Max, inspired them to take action and start a charity — 4 ASD for KIDS — to help fund early autism intervention programs. The charity’s fundraising events merge fitness and well-being to highlight the plight of children living with autism. The current fundraising campaign #2019pushupchallenge, encourages participants to do one push up a day for the whole year– with people donating $1 per push up.

Mick spoke to footballer Mat Rogers on the highs and lows of his whirlwind parenting journey, and the touching stories that ignite a fire in his belly.

Plus, we also talked with his brother Don Rogers, host of The Naked Punt Football Show, to discover how he’s harnessing the power of athletics and pushing his physical limits to raise funds and build awareness for autism.