Thank you for taking the time to visit my Just Giving page.

I take on personal challenges hoping to inspire others and to help raise the profile of, and raise money for the Brain Tumour Charity to help advance the boundaries of brain tumour research.

2017 has seen me pushing further distance with attempts at running 100 continuous miles. The first attempt was The Apocalypse 100 in July. The second will be the Cotswold Way Century in September.

Each challenge stresses me both physically and mentally and each differs from the others. I learn as I go. Nothing of what I experience though can match the suffering of those living with a brain tumour or caring for someone dying from one.

In June 2016 I completed running the Northern Traverse, a 190 mile endurance fell race, coast to coast along Wainwright’s route from St Bees in the West to Robin Hood’s Bay in the East. The route crosses the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales and the North Yorkshire Moors.  

Three weeks later I cycled coast to coast in a day. At 150 miles, it was twice the distance I'd ever been on a bike before.

In November 2016 and again in June 2017 I took part in the 24 hours non-stop Escape from Meriden.

My motivation for these challenges was the birth of my little granddaughter, Poppy, last summer.  She will never know her grandfather, nor he the joy that she is, after losing his life to an aggressive brain tumour nine years ago.

Since then we have also lost six other friends and colleagues to a brain tumour and know others currently affected by the same terrible condition. 

9300 people each year are diagnosed with a brain tumour and it is the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40.  However, research into this particular cancer is chronically underfunded, receiving less than 2% of the all cancer research monies.

During my lifetime, thanks to the level of research, the long term survival for some cancers has improved significantly. For example, ten year survival for breast cancer has doubled from 40% to 80%. However, a diagnosis of brain tumour remains at just 13%.

I want to raise the awareness and raise funding for brain tumour research so that during Poppy’s lifetime we start to see improvements in outcomes and quality of life for those affected, as we have for some other cancers.

Please sponsor me as I take on these challenges. Every penny helps ease my pain but crucially, in doing so, you will help provide the funds for medical science to push the boundaries of brain tumour research.

£25   could cover the cost of providing the essential information needed by someone currently living with a brain tumour.

£100 could fund a support group meeting for people living with a brain tumour and their families.

£250 could cover a day of research for one of our leading brain tumour researchers to further the understanding of a particular type of brain tumour to provide more targeted treatment.

You can find out more about my challenge, follow my training and the event itself by visiting https://www.facebook.com/PushBoundaries

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. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.