I am raising money for The Roy Castle Lung Foundation. It is the UK's only Lung Cancer charity yet there are around 46,700 new lung cancer cases in the UK every year, that's nearly 130 every day and despite Lung cancer being the 3rd most common cancer in the UK, there is still a really long way to go with treatment and early detection for this underfunded cancer. 

Here is my story as to why I am raising money.. 

On May 15^th last year, sat in a box room at Salisbury District Hospital with my wife & father in law (John) we received the news we were dreading.John has Lung Cancer!

John is a man who had already been through quite a bit in his 78 years, including two heart attacks, five bypasses, prostate & skin
cancer so once the shock had settled down & reality kicked in, John's attitude was "I'll deal with this as well" 

John, a former military man who’s travelled the world and who always has one or two stories to tell, is these days known for his love of life, gardening and his adoration for his Granddaughter Eva, took control
and got himself into the best physical shape he could to give
himself every opportunity of getting through a 7 hour operation that would ultimately lead to his upper and mid lobes being removed from his right lung. 

In August 2018 he was operated on in Southampton Hospital and 11 days later he was home.

His rehab has been lengthy but throughout the whole ordeal so far his positive mindset and focus to keep enjoying life played a huge part in getting him through.

John’s attitude throughout all of last year was incredible. I never once saw him ask for anything or get angry, every appointment he attended or news we received he clung onto any positive he could. He took over my rowing machine on a daily basis to the point where I had to hide the key just so I could use it. Now roughly 9 months later I have the opportunity of setting myself a mental and physical challenge in the form of a 100 km trek across the Jurassic Coast and my aim is to get it completed within 24 hrs. The training has been anything but fun although I have a new found interest for maps (just not being able to read them correctly ) and getting myself lost in the middle of nowhere… more than once!

My last trek was in 2010 when climbing Kilimanjaro, now 9 years on and one knee op since, these days I am more likely to be found on a rowing machine but that said, I like a challenge and John’s story from last year has given me a focus to crack this! 

Here is a bit more about my challenge https://www.jurassiccoastchallenge.com/ultra-challenge-series

See you on the other side...Unless I get lost.

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