It’s been 2 years since my last Just Giving page, where I asked for your help and support to get through a particularly rough patch in my life. Today I’m asking for help again, but not for me this time, now it’s for everyone around me that I hope doesn’t have to go through what I did.

2 years on from that previous post, it now makes it 9 years since my Ileostomy that should have been monitored and 2 years since my Cancer diagnosis and consequential completion proctectomy. A hospital visit that should have been 3-5 days but became three weeks due to complications in surgery where I was under general anaesthetic for 36hrs. A process that was hampered by ongoing worries about my heart rate due to a pre-existing Atrial Tachycardia / Cardiac Arrhythmia.

Over those three weeks I experienced several secondary procedures and other events that I wouldn’t wish on anybody. Cancer is awful no matter what angle you look at it, so I want your help and contribution to ensure we keep taking steps to find cures for every cancer. It feels like a naïve notion that we’ll find a cure for every Cancer, and maybe we won’t, but equally I like the idea that we should not let perfection prevent progress which is why I want to do what I can to provide an avenue of funds to Cancer Research.

It was 6-8 months before the cancer diagnosis that I started running. At the time I could barely comprehend running 5000 meters. 1-2 minutes and a few hundred meters and I was exhausted. I started with the “Couch to 5k” alongside a lovely group of people in my hometown of Littlehampton which I’m so glad I found as it really started this whole journey for me. From there I got the confidence to join a running Club, and I’ve very slowly built up to 8k and 10k runs.It blows my mind every time I cross the finish line, because I still can’t believe it's possible, and now I’m taking the next step.

A half marathon is 21.1 kilometres. It doesn't sound that far does it, but maybe a bit of perspective might help it sink in, so for example, that would be equivalent to over 52 laps of an athletics running track, and I’ll be running constantly, for over 2 hours. Set a timer on your phone for two hours from now to remind yourself of how long that is.

Realistically, I’m far outside the bounds of what you might consider an athlete, so I don’t want to big myself up for how well I’m doing. I’m slow and unfit compared to many people in my age group. But for me, fitness and exercise are more important than just going for a run jog and calling myself healthy. I don’t know if it’s a result of health trauma or other reasons, but If I don’t keep up regular exercise, I quickly find my mental health decline. In the longer term, my experience tells me that the fitter you are when you get ill, the greater your chances of surviving. Inevitably something will happen, and it might be worse the last time, so I want to make sure I’m in the best condition I can be when that happens. Ready to fight.

Honestly, I don’t know if I can do it, but nothing is going to stop me trying.

My goal is to raise £1000 for Cancer Research UK by running 21.1km around London on the 12th of April 2026 and I’d like your contribution to help me get there. In their own words “Help us bring about a world where everybody lives longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer.”

Adam