Hi,

Firstly, thank you for visiting my just giving page, it means a lot that you are even here reading this.

I think many of us have known someone who has been affected by cancer, be it a friend or family member. According to Cancer Research statisitcs, more than 1 in 3 people will develop some form of cancer in their life time. Now, not only does that fact scare me completely but it also inspires me to help in anyway I can. I've lost 2 amazing men in my life to cancer, the first being my Grandpa when I was quite young. I only got to spend a few years with him before he passed away meaning I have limited memories of him, which makes me very sad indeed. The second man is my Grandad, whom I had around 15 years with, my most memorable being my early childhood building sandcastles on the beach and spending hours colouring in, he honestly was one of the most patient and kind people I have ever met. The most recent devastation that has inspired me to do this though is my Auntie's lovely husband, a man I have known all my life, Steve, whom has now developed the disease too. Life is simply very unfair.

Now, after saying that, I'm sure you're wondering why I'm not raising money for cancer as a whole, such as Cancer Research or Macmillan Nurses. In no way do I not think them worthy enough, they are both fantastic organisations that do so much to help, I do donate monthly to CR. However, the only thing I can think of that is worse than developing cancer later in life, is developing it as a teenager before your life has even really begun. Teenage Cancer Trust do such amazing things for young adults, if it wasn't for them teenagers would be treated alongside either adults or children, meaning that generally there would be no-one for them to relate to. I've been able to visit a ward that has been developed by them, it's full of bright colours, video games, snooker tables and all sorts of other positive things. Now, I am not in anyway saying that that will make everything better, although I do think being in a nice enviroment with people of similar age that they can talk to will make things a little more bearable. 

The 5x50 challenge is the idea that you jog/walk/cycle 5K everyday for 50 days, although I have slightly tweaked it to 50 or 5 in 50 days, so I'm able to swim 50 lengths aswell. I would really appreciate you sponsoring me, regardless of the amount, every little helps. I am currently 3 days in with the challenge and have every intention of seeing it through with the support of you all.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Thank you so much.

www.5x50.co.uk

www.teenagecancertrust.org/

www.facebook.com/TeenageCancerTrust