I started fundraising for brain tumour charities after my own diagnosis in 2019. This year, aged 44, I’m taking on my first IRONMAN challenge to support The National Brain Appeal and help fund research into new, more effective treatments for brain tumours.

Five years ago, after experiencing problems with my eyesight and feeling disorientated, I had a brain scan that revealed a large tumour at the back of my brain, which turned out to be Grade 3 Anaplastic Oligodendroglioma. A week later, I had brain surgery to remove 95% of the tumour. After that came six weeks of radiotherapy and then 18 months of chemotherapy, beginning in January 2020.

Once I’d recovered from the surgery, I threw myself into exercising, and fundraising. I’m a married dad of two, and a self-employed builder, and my life has changed massively since been diagnosed. As a former rugby player so I've always been into fitness this has driven me on further and if I can help others as well, it’s a bonus. There's nothing better helping others to help yourself.

Over the past five years, I’ve taken on numerous physical challenges, raising tens of thousands of pounds for brain tumour charities, as well as crowdfunding my own ongoing preventative treatment at a clinic in Germany that creates bespoke vaccines designed to teach your immune system to attack your cancer cells.

But, I want the very best innovative treatments to be available to patients here in the UK so that they don’t have to go abroad and that’s why I’m taking on an Ironman challenge to raise funds for The National Brain Appeal, the dedicated charity for the National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery and the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology – together known as Queen Square.

Queen Square is a world-leading centre for the treatment of patients with neurological conditions. Its researchers are doing groundbreaking work to improve treatments for brain cancer. In 2019, the charity funded the UK’s largest-ever immunotherapy trial for brain cancer patients, which was the NEAT Glioma trial in which immunotherapy was given to patients before standard treatment. Further trials are planned for later this year.

To raise funds for this vital work, I’ll be taking on an Ironman challenge in northern Spain this July. It's a gruelling triathlon that begins with a 2.4-mile (3.8km) swim, followed by a 112-mile (180km) bike ride and finishes with a marathon 26 miles (42km). Please consider sponsoring me and helping to create a more hopeful future for people with brain tumours. Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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.