Becca was just 4 and I was 15 when heart disease robbed us of our Gramps Miller. He was far too young. However, through more research and education, fewer people could fall victim to our countries largest killer. I'm proud to support the British Heart Foundation this year, and hope you'll join me by sponsoring me here.
Cancer Research
Cancer is a disease that has left a permanent mark on my family, like so many others, and as well as the BHF we've been raising money for Cancer Research UK this year.
I was just 19 when cancer claimed the life of my Nana Irving, though I was incredibly lucky to have known and loved her for so long. She was energetic, lively and full of fun, and would have thoroughly approved of me riding round the south of England this year trying to raise a bit of money. She’ll be in the front of my mind this year.It doesn't always have to end this way. In my family I also have a cancer survivor, and another amazing friend who, through experimental treatment, has beaten her cancer into remission. Research into cancer does work and will offer hope to many, many other families. By sponsoring me here you too can support their work
Becca's stories
In August 2011, just 6 months after being diagnosed with Lung Cancer, Becca's beloved Auntie Pat lost her battle with cancer. It metathesized to her ribs, lymph nodes and, ultimately, her brain. She had just turned 71. Becca tells the story:
"Pat was a constant presence in my life - I spent a week in every summer holidays with her and regularly used go visit while at University and needed food/sleep/washing. However, she was more than just an aunt, she was like a second mother to me and, almost more importantly, one of my best friends. She lived life to the full and had a fighting attitude right to the end. She was the centre of our family and has left a hole so great we cannot hope to begin filling it.
Pat was lucky in her last few months. The speed of her diagnosis and care during treatment was unquestionable. She just needed earlier detection to give her a chance, and it is this awareness campaign that cancer research is working on and needs funds for."
Becca's friend Laurence is an amazing story of hope:
"At the age of 14, Laurence was diagnosed with Cancer in his leg. He underwent severe Chaemo and had the bone in his leg removed from mid thigh to mid calf. A keen triathlete, he was gutted to give up on his dreams, however what if he didn't have to?
Following a long recovery period, Laurence started training in swimming as this was the only discipline from trialthon that he could still do. He quickly became one of the top Junior racers at 50m freestyle in the country, however the classification system in adaptive swimming is extremely strict and Laurence found himself competing against athlete's with much less severe disabilities than himself.
This is where I came in. I met Laurence after his Dad, whom I knew from spinning classes at our local gym, volunteered him to help me out with a sport psychology project during my MSc. We quickly became friends and I put him and his Dad in touch with my rowing club at the time, Tees. I begin teaching him how to row on the rowing machine at the gym on a weekly basis and took him as far as I could. He has now just come back from a training camp with Team GB and has moved to Caversham, where their training headquarters are to be a full time adaptive rower."
Laurence's story should give us hope that there is life after cancer. With your money we can give other people the chance to make their dreams come true too.
