In Memory of My Brother David – Ironman Leeds for St Luke’s Hospice

In October 2023, my youngest brother David lost his battle with cancer. Everything happened incredibly quickly — from his initial diagnosis to being told the cancer was incurable and that little could be done.

It’s hard enough to face something like that at any age, but at 36, with a young family, it felt especially cruel.

People often say the person they’re fundraising for was “liked by everyone” — but with David, it was genuinely true. He was kind to everyone around him and had a wide circles of friends. He also had a brilliant sense of humour which seemed to be more effective because he could be quiet, apart from when he was enjoying some heavy metal at Download - maybe he wasn’t so quiet then.

Professionally, David was the sound guy on loads of TV programs, and I still find myself watching TV which I wouldn't normally watch (no offence to those involved!) so I can see his name appear in the credits.

In his final few weeks, David was cared for by St Luke’s Hospice in Plymouth. The team there were nothing short of amazing. They brought comfort, dignity and warmth to a desperately difficult time — not just for David, but for all of us.

They even went beyond clinical care: his dogs were allowed to visit, and at one point, they arranged for his daughter to walk a pony around the ward .

On 27 July 2025, I’ll be taking part in Ironman Leeds — that’s a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and a full marathon… all in one go with a cut off of 17 hours (I may need all those 17)

It honestly felt like a good idea at the time – mainly because it’s in my hometown and logistically easy to get to. But it’s only now dawning on me that getting to the start is the easy bit – it’s the getting to the finish that might prove slightly more challenging. I suspect around mile 50 on the bike I’ll be questioning all of my life choices.

To make this slightly mad idea feel more meaningful, I’ve decided to raise funds for St Luke’s as a small thank you for the incredible kindness and care they gave David and our family.

If you’re able to donate, however much, it would mean the world. Every penny helps St Luke’s continue supporting other families going through their own version of what we went through.

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.