Marathons for Neuroblastoma!
A few weeks ago we received an email from Sgt Chris Freeborn. Chris, a sergeant in the RAF Fire and Rescue Service, is currently deployed in the South Atlantic. Alongside his normal duties, Chris likes to keep fit! As December will be his final full month of deployment, Chris has decided to take on a huge challenge – and raise funds for Neuroblastoma UK in the process.
Chris tells us why he has chosen Neuroblastoma UK to benefit from his challenge:
“Cancer has unfortunately taken away some very important people in my life. My father and my brother both lost their fight to cancer in 2003 and the personal pain from loss continues even now. One thing that my dad and brother did have though were years of good health and good life unlike the children whom you seek to help, treat and find a cure for. My first contact with neuroblastoma was when a friend of mine and his wife lost their young daughter last year and following her story through of her every day treatments and struggle was heartbreaking. Furthermore, who couldn’t be touched by the story of Bradley Lowery who lost his fight with neuroblastoma earlier this year.”
So, what is Chris up to? Initially he was intent upon ‘running’ seven marathons in seven days on a cross-trainer – a huge challenge in itself. However, as he likes to push himself, he has upped the challenge and decided upon running a cross-trainer marathon for every day of advent!
Sadly, Chris was unable to begin the challenge because a family bereavement took him home unexpectedly. However, wonderfully his friends and colleagues decided to take up the reins – they undertook to complete a marathon every day either by the cross-trainer, a military TAB (a weighted march which is known as a Tactical Advance to Battle) or a run. Chris is hugely grateful: “I owe my fire fighting crew (Green Watch) and members from the Army, Navy and Air Force a great deal of thanks for helping me to do this and will see them right with a beer or two for their efforts!”
But Chris is still intent upon completing the challenge he set himself and has now embarked on the 25 marathons over the next 25 days. All in all that will mean pushing a total of 655 miles – an absolutely massive accomplishment!
It is with the support of people like Chris that we can continue our work to help children with this aggressive cancer and we are very grateful to him and to everyone who contributes to his fundraising with a donation – you can find his JustGiving page here. Our thanks!
We wish Chris every success and hope he had enough energy left to enjoy Christmas!