On the eve of an historic day, when it looks likely David Cameron will fall just short of his target, I thought I would recount a similar story of my own to lift your spirits.

 

About a year ago, I ran in the London Marathon with my brother Miles.  He had had bowel cancer the year before, and having recovered, wanted me to join him in raising money for the charity Beating Bowel Cancer.  Now I wasn’t counting my chickens, but 5 years his junior, and with a weekly croquet foursome to keep me trim, I fancied my chances but thought it would be a nice gesture to stay with him during the race.  Seeing me run off ahead would have been so dispiriting after all.

 

In a nutshell, what in fact happened was somewhat different.  The technical term for what I was ‘struck down’ with the week of the marathon is a cold, but it sounds so pathetic I would prefer if we thought of it as flu, or at least man flu which we know can be highly dangerous ( I had a particularly virulent strain).  In short, I collapsed half way round the course, ended up in a St John’s Ambulance tent, and in that one delirious moment, my dream of finishing the marathon with my brother was over.  Miles went on to record a time of 3 hours 43 minutes, and with a little help from me, managed to raise over £27,000 for charity in the process.  He, and I, were so grateful for everyone’s support but for my part I felt a fraud, and was determined to give it another go.

 

So, with that in mind, I write to you a year on with the news that two weeks ago, I finally did it!!  To avoid repeating the humiliation of 2009 I kept it pretty quiet, but managed a respectable time of 4 hours, 3 minutes and 12 seconds – world class it wasn’t, but I was just delighted to finish it.

 

To thank Beating Bowel Cancer for giving me another chance, and to recognise the fantastic work they do in raising awareness of bowel cancer, I am attempting to raise £5,000 and yet again, come pleading for any support you can give.  As an additional incentive, I intend to walk 190 miles coast-to-coast in June, from the Irish Sea to the North Sea.  I thought it might actually be enjoyable, but having spoken to some experienced hikers, I now realise that walking 20 miles a day for 10 days will be no picnic – and I hear there are some bumpy bits in the Lake District.

 

Bowel cancer is still the second biggest cancer killer in the UK, but recent pioneering discoveries suggest strongly that this need not be the case in the future.  My sister and I are currently awaiting the results of blood tests which will tell us whether we have the same genetic malfunction as Miles, an astonishing leap forward in science which shows the speed at which progress is being made.  Only last week, Miles had his annual scan, a fiendishly clever piece of kit that serves as an early-warning system for any cancerous growth – it was all clear.

 

We would appreciate any support you can give towards this wonderful charity, in the hope that more people can survive this terrible disease, which over 100 people are diagnosed with in the UK every day.

 

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