In September 2022, at the age of 40 my childhood friend Craig Maxwell  was diagnosed with a rare form of genetic lung cancer, EGFR+, which had also spread to his bones.

It is an inoperable, incurable Stage 4 diagnosis. Craig’s terminal illness has given him, his children, Isla (12) and Zach (8), and wife, Tracey, limited time together.

With the four words "You have incurable cancer" their lives changed forever, and their future was taken away. Tracey and Craig agreed that they will not let this control the time they have left together as a family.

They decided to focus their energy on raising vital funds to support and help the Cancer diagnosis pathway in Wales, speeding up diagnosis and supporting quicker treatments for patients. As of December 2023 Craig, Tracey, and their friends have raised close to £1mill with the support of Velindre Cancer Centre.

Craig will miss his children’s future, but whilst he can’t be there to give them the support he had planned to with Tracey, he can show them how strong and powerful people can be when we want to make a difference together."

I will be supporting Craig in his next challenge where he is taking on his biggest challenge yet, a journey comprising of 23 days of walking and 3 days of cycling, covering over 780 miles along the Welsh Coastal Path in just 26 days. The 780 miles represent the 78 days it took for my diagnosis, while the 26 days represent the time this period will be reduced to thanks to the QuicDNA project.

Our journey commences on February 14th and culminates on March 10th at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, coinciding with the Wales vs. France Guinness Six Nations match. As part of this significant event, we'll be relaying the match ball across Wales, eventually reaching Cardiff for Craig’s children, Isla and Zach, to carry the ball onto the field for the game.

Given his ongoing cancer treatments, walking 26 miles a day is going to be tough, but he is determined to try and will do as much as he can. Each day, we will be joined by a Welsh celebrity and 30 fellow walkers. This collective effort ensures that even on the challenging days, when he can only manage parts of the walk, the ball will continue its journey. The unity and support fostered by this event will further raise awareness about cancer symptoms in Wales and provide crucial support and funds to combat this disease.