As I write these words, it is January, the start of the year. It is predominantly grey and cold (at least here in The Netherlands) and with that comes everyone’s “New Year’s resolutions”.

You may be one of many who list your goals, with all the best intentions, before reneging within 2 weeks. We have all been there.

However, this year, I am not giving up on at least 2 of mine.

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For the past few years, I have had the desire to run a half marathon. A full marathon is too risky – I have had issues with my knees – but I believe a half is achievable, and something I could enjoy while still pushing myself, with the goal of finishing in under 2 hours.

Every year, there has always been an excuse: ‘I hurt my knee’, ‘I had to travel for work and could not train properly’, and so on...

Then, last September, I registered to run a 16k race in Amsterdam with a friend, at the last minute. Despite barely training I still made it to the finish line. And with a half marathon being just over 5k further, I no longer have any excuses.

I started telling friends I’ll do a half marathon. This time it was for real, and one event caught my eye; April’s Lake Garda Half Marathon in Italy. This would give me enough time to convince people to join in and hold me accountable, the recommended number of months to train correctly, and the best incentive to train in winter - although I have since realised the latter is harder than I thought. ;)

A colleague from Testbirds was the first to join me, and an additional 7 friends have since signed up too.

So that’s now at least 9 people who can spread the following message.

As 2023 drew to a close, I reflected on what had happened and what I had achieved over the past 12 months.

The year had started with my father being diagnosed with cancer.

Fortunately, the cancer was diagnosed on time, and he was treated successfully, thanks to a great team of doctors - whilst luckily being lovingly surrounded by friends and family.

This ordeal ended well, and he has recovered and can travel again.

But was anything during that period simple or easy? No.

When one of your favourite people is diagnosed with a life-threatening disease, when you have no idea what comes next and what steps medical teams will take, when you are initially told the treatment should last a certain number of months before taking twice as long, when you see the number of drugs piling up in the fridge, the fatigue, the constant worry and guilt of not being able to do more… and I could go on and on. It all takes its toll. Yet, let me say this: we were extremely lucky.

As my family and I were trying to be as present as we could, I received so many messages of support and stories of strength in the face of similar adversities. I started looking around and realised how many people I knew had been affected by cancer. How many had lost loved ones - some of whom fought for years, and some who were lost in just a few months.

I had known about some of them. Yet sadly, I never realized how much, nor how hard it can be until it also affected my immediate family.

I talked to friends working in cancer research and the medical sphere. They dedicate their lives, studying for years for often little income, to be around patients or find better ways to detect, and treat cancer better and faster.

My father’s cancer was diagnosed on time and was well-treated. That was not the case for most patients a few years ago. And today, some forms of cancer are still very difficult to detect and treat in time. But that can change.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for millions of deaths each year.

In many developed countries, estimates suggest that approximately one in three individuals will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lifetime (This can vary according to the type of cancer and specific populations).

According to the American Cancer Society, cancer accounts for about 1 in 6 deaths globally.

The impact of cancer extends beyond the person diagnosed to their support network, caregivers, and the broader community.

Cancer research needs more funding. And every donation, no matter the size, contributes to the greater goal. Funds can be utilised for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

For that reason, I chose Worldwide Cancer Research as the charity we will be running for. While based in the UK, Worldwide Cancer Research funds research projects globally. They support innovative and early-stage research to discover new ways of preventing, diagnosing, and treating cancer.

Here is their website should you wish to learn more: https://www.worldwidecancerresearch.org/

My friends and I will run the half marathon on 14th April 2024 in Lake Garda. As mentioned, we are currently a team of 9. An international collective of myself and 8 friends I’ve met through my studies and later while living in Amsterdam.

We will travel to Lake Garda from The Netherlands, the U.K., Switzerland, and other regions of Italy. And I’m proud to say together we represent the following nationalities: Dutch, Irish/British, Italian, Swiss, Spanish/Chinese, and French.

Like almost all of you reading this, we too have all been affected in one way or another, by a loved one getting cancer. And in fact, even one member of our team is a cancer survivor. It’s that close to home for everyone. Cancer has no frontier.

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How can you get involved?

There are many ways:

Through donating

So just via this page exactly :)

Remember: every contribution counts, no matter the value.

By joining us

Should you want to join the fun, please feel free to do so, either for the cause or just to prevent cancer. You can run, cycle, or just walk your own 21.1k, or whatever distance you feel comfortable with, wherever you are, and use the hashtag #raceagainstcancer. Exercising and staying healthy is one of the best ways to help prevent cancer and other diseases and save your loved ones from a lot of worry.

By sharing

I am aware so many things are currently happening around the world. It is difficult to choose which cause to donate to.

You can just remind your colleagues, friends, family and loved ones to look after themselves and the people around them. To not take anyone for granted, be kind and empathetic, and make sure to take the time to tell the people you care about that you do.

Anything can change from one day to the next. Life is too short to have regrets.

I will do everything I can to complete the Lake Garda Half Marathon and raise at least €1,000 for Worldwide Cancer Research. But other than committing to these two New Year’s resolutions, I am not sure what this year will bring for me. But from experience, a new year always brings some good, and some less happy events and encounters. Last year’s events made me look at life in a much more positive way. Let’s try to make it as good as we can, together.

That is a long read, thank you for taking the time to go through this article and for any support you may provide.

Help us make an impact, and you will too. Sharing is caring. Let’s spread the love.

Happy 2024.

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