Russell's Big 2023 Challenge (Three became Five World Majors for 2023)

The last couple of years have been extremely challenging for all charities.  A charity close to my heart is Young Lives vs Cancer.  The charity was required to restructure; operate with fewer staff and an ever-increasing workload; they effectively had to double their efforts to ensure the same level of support to help young people and families find the strength to face whatever cancer throws at them.

2023 will see me take on my biggest challenge to date in support of Young Lives vs Cancer, running five of the world's major marathons.  The challenge kicks off in April, running in London, Berlin in September, Chicago in October, New York in November and finishing on the 3rd March in Tokyo as well as running in several smaller events in between.

• 23rd April - London Marathon
• 24th September - Berlin Marathon
• 8th October - Chicago Marathon
• 5th November - New York Marathon
• 3rd March - Tokyo Marathon

So why Young Lives vs Cancer?

As many of you will already know, our son Harry has faced cancer twice.

It began on the 7th April 2016 when Harry was rushed to hospital for an emergency operation to stem a bleed in his nose.  I was working away but was reassured by one of the doctors that it was a routine procedure and that all would be fine.  Unfortunately, a few hours later, the same doctor advised me that I should return to the UK as soon as possible, as Harry had been diagnosed with leukaemia.

His diagnosis knocked our family sideways, but Harry's sense of humour, strength and determination allowed him to fight the cancer head-on.  Harry underwent two years of long hospital stays and intense, debilitating daily chemotherapy, finishing treatment in April 2018.

Sadly, on 31st December 2019, after being off treatment for twenty months and living life to the full, Harry's cancer returned.  This news devastated our world, and no words can describe how we felt.

He spent the next seven months in four different hospitals.  Eight weeks of this was spent in intensive care in an induced coma.  He then went on to receive the revolutionary treatment CAR-T Cell Therapy at Great Ormond Street Hospital.  After recovering from treatment, he undertook hours and hours of intensive physio and occupational therapy to learn to walk, eat and other everyday life skills, which we all take for granted.  Throughout all this, Harry had a smile on his face and showed more strength and determination than I ever thought was possible.

Harry has now been off treatment for two and a half years; he is loving life and grabbing every opportunity with both hands.

When Harry was diagnosed, I naively knew very little about Young Lives vs Cancer and how the charity would impact our lives in the coming months and years.  The Young Lives Team were with us at every step, providing vital accommodation across the UK, psychological support, advice and guidance in many areas alongside daily interaction not just for Harry but the whole family.

To enable Young Lives to continue helping young people and families who find themselves going through this horrible nightmare that is cancer, the charity relies heavily on fundraising and donations from the general public.  This year I aim to raise £75 for every mile I run, but it would be fantastic to smash that target; no matter how small, any donation will enable the Young Lives Team to continue their fantastic work.

Thank you in advance for your support.