Shortly after retiring from teaching, Mum was diagnosed with primary bowel cancer in 2017. Following successful surgery and chemotherapy, she was able to get her life back on track as an active grandmother until a follow-up scan in autumn 2019 showed she had developed metastases on her lungs.

Mum’s positive mental attitude, tenacity and determination have always been among her many inspirational traits and have also helped her fight breast cancer during the last 10 years. This inspiration helped Dad to complete the Prudential Ride London, raising over £2,000 for Bowel Cancer UK - an organisation which helps us and others during the toughest of times.

Mum has always been a huge role model to me, but the challenges she continues to overcome have encouraged me to tackle my own challenge, which I hope will make her proud, as I've been training (over a much longer period than anticipated!) to run the London Marathon for Bowel Cancer UK.

A contribution to Bowel Cancer UK will help them to continue providing hope and support for all those affected by a bowel cancer diagnosis.

Bowel Cancer UK’s vision of a future where nobody dies of the disease is monumental. It would be incredible if future patients and families would no longer have the same degree of uncertainty and emotional stress that’s currently involved with a bowel cancer diagnosis.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story. Any support would be greatly appreciated and really help keep me going on the day and during those cold dark training runs!

Adrian and the Mathews family

https://www.strava.com/athletes/mathews_adrian