Paul Wilson
Laughing in the face of cancer... Ultra Comedy
Fundraising for Cancer Research UK
Story
This evil disease completely turned our world upside down in 2010 when my mother went from being absolutely fine, to ill, to really ill and then sadly passed away - all in the space of around 6-8 weeks. Powerless and heartbroken, there was nothing which could be done in our situation.
But it doesn't have to be this way, more people than ever are fighting cancer and winning... changes in lifestyle, better awareness of risk factors and largely thanks to the incredible ground-breaking work done by charities such as Cancer Research UK, symptoms are being spotted sooner, treatments deployed earlier and more people are surviving cancer.
So what's this all about?
Last year I took part in Ultra White Collar Boxing. 8 weeks of free training, plus some additional paid-for sessions, all culminating in a boxing match with 350 spectators at the Majestic Hotel in Harrogate on 16th December. 3x 2-minute rounds with a lovely chap call Ed who bust my nose but also took as good as he gave. The fight finished in a draw and we were both elated.
With that done and dusted I was looking for my next challenge: Ultra Comedy. Same format: 8 weeks training all leading up to a 5-minute, self-written, stand-up comedy set in front of 250 people at The Wardrobe in Leeds on Sunday 23rd June. I'm not sure which is more scary, getting punched on the nose in a ring or staring silence in the face on a stage - let's find out!
Donating takes a minute or two, can be done anonymously and can be as much or as little as you can afford. I totally understand if donating isn't possible but would be equally as grateful if you could share this link.
Collectively, we can put cancer on notice.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read this. Paul w.