On the morning of 23 September, John, Dev and I reached the summit of Kilimanjaro. Thank you to all those who supported us - it means a great deal to us. Your sponsorship is greatly appreciated by Everyman Male Cancer Charity.

 

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Some time last autumn, my good friends, John Thurston and Dev Raikmo, convened with me in the comfort of The Nelson Arms in Farnham. That evening proved to be the beginning of what we hope will be a worthwhile journey - a journey that comprises two challenges;

The first is to push ourselves beyond our known levels of endurance and reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro via the remote Lemosho Trail. Rising 19,340 feet above sea level, Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa and the world’s highest free-standing mountain. Why would we do this? Well, that leads us on to the second challenge...

The second and more important challenge is to raise vital funds for EVERYMAN. Part of The Institute of Cancer Research, Everyman raises funds to increase awareness of, and funding research into, testicular and prostate cancer.

The incidence of male cancer is rising rapidly; one man dies every hour from prostate cancer in the UK and testicular cancer has almost doubled in the last twenty years, yet very little is known about why this is and what causes them in the first place. Despite this, and the fact that it affects so many men in the UK, research into male cancer is severely under-funded and is ten years behind some other cancers.

John, Dev and I will be straining every sinew in our bodies to raise as much money as possible for EVERYMAN. There is no limit, although I have a personal target of £10,000 and I'm confident that, with your kind support and generosity, I can exceed it. Once on the mountain, just knowing that you are supporting me will spur me on to drag this arthritic bundle of skin and bone to the summit (note to self; must ask John and Dev how we get down).

We will set off on 15 September and hope to reach the summit as the sun rises on 23 September. Over the coming weeks and months we'll be training hard to get fit, puzzling over how to pack all our kit, preparing for the inevitable altitude sickness (though we're told nothing can prepare us for that), hardening our imperviousness to creepy-crawlies and trying not to worry about the mountain lions that roam the Lemosho Glades.

We'll be providing you with updates on our fundraising and training via this page and our blog, www.meandmytwonuts.co.uk, which will include video diaries, photos and, knowing John and Dev, many amusing anecdotes - almost certainly at my expense!

Thank you so very much. Your donation will make a difference.

Love and best wishes,

 

Tim