I am raising £6,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support in memory of my Aunt Margie, and my Uncle John -- but also for everyone affected by cancer.  In 2012, I will travel to the Arctic Circle for a dog sledding challenge in the wilds of Norway. The purpose of the challenge is to raise money for Macmillan -- and in the process, to push myself harder than I have ever done before.

In 2008, my aunt Margie Frankham succumbed to cancer after a long battle with the illness.  In 2010, my uncle John Chesters was the victim of an aggressive brain cancer.  Sadly, the illness took him so quickly that there wasn't time for him to receive any nursing at home.

This trip seems like a fitting way to remember both my aunt Margie and my uncle John, who were my Dad's two oldest siblings -- and are very much missed by all the family.

With this adventure, I want to be able to raise awareness as well as money for Macmillan.

In the UK alone, one in three people will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime and over two million people are currently living with cancer. Macmillan is a UK charity providing the expert care and practical and emotional support which is changing the lives of people living with cancer today.

2011 is the 100th anniversary of Macmillan, and this year Macmillan will be making its biggest ever contribution, of £10 million, towards the new University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre. The cancer centre will be the first of its kind in the NHS and will redefine the ways patients are treated, using the best diagnostic and treatment techniques to improve survival rates. Every detail of the centre has been designed around the needs of individual patients with more focus on the best treatments, wellbeing, rehabilitation and cancer survivorship.

Questions? Email me: greatarcticchallenge@gmail.com