Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

There are so many reasons why I am doing this;

My wonderful late wife Sharon was treated and supported so wonderfully by the many fantastic staff at the QE.  They also helped me in the final months of her life. The oncology staff have such a huge task each and every day - they are nothing short of heroic.

Then when my beautiful new wife Gaynor and I were victims of a hit and run 18 months ago, the trauma and orthopaedic teams worked their magic and continue to do so with Gaynor, whose injuries were horrific and still receives ongoing surgery but her recovery is miraculous. 

Now my daughter-in-law is in safe hands at the QE, about to start her oncology treatment.

I also want to raise awareness of the enormous benefits that exercise, physical fitness and the outdoors can have on emotional and mental wellbeing.  Running, walking and yoga all contributed to my survival after losing Sharon. I really struggled when I couldn't do any of these things after the hit and run and now getting back running has really lifted me.

My inspiration to push myself and enjoy life largely comes from a very special young man called Neehari and it is to him that I dedicate this race and training. Neehari passed away in 2015 at just 12 years old from a rare cancer.  I feel privileged to have witnessed his extraordinary courage and spirit to enjoy life in the face of the most extreme adversity.

It is for this reason that I have requested that any funds that I do raise go towards the Supporting Children with Cancer (The VIP Treatment) appeal at the QE Hospital.  This is for children experiencing Radiotherapy, which is incredibly gruelling for people of any age but it can be particularly distressing for the young patients 

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.