Why am I running the London Marathon to raise money for the Institute of Cancer Research?

During Christmas 2009 my grandfather become seriously ill. Within a week his health had significantly deteriorated and on New Years Eve, the angels flew him to heaven. Medical reports later showed that my grandfather had Leukaemia – a form of blood cancer. At the time I felt helpless knowing that there was nothing I could do to make him better; but I later found something that I could do to try and help other people who had been affected by the awful disease that is cancer: fundraise. For the last 7 years I have predominantly raised money for Bloodwise - a charity that funds research into the diagnosis and treatment of blood cancers.

However, over the last few years I have seen how cancer has impacted upon the lives of some of my closest friends and families, and it is truly heart-breaking to watch them go through such a difficult time. All you can do is be there and support them the best that you can, but sometimes this doesn’t feel enough and you wish that you could do more to help in some way. I want us to find that cure. I want to put an end to the suffering that cancer causes.

This is where the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) comes in. The ICR is a fantastic charity that funds cutting edge research into understanding a wide variety of cancers and develops new drugs to effectively treat individuals, with the aim of one day finding a cure. Here are a few facts about the ICR:
•    The ICR is one of the world’s most influential cancer research institutes that dates back over 100 years
•    They are the world leaders in identifying cancer genes, discovering cancer drugs and developing precision radiotherapy
•    It is rated in the top 4 centres for cancer research and treatment worldwide

I have also added some of the ICR’s most influential discoveries at the bottom of this page. The fact that the ICR funds research into numerous cancers is the reason I have chosen to run for them in the London Marathon. Some of my closest friends and their families have been affected by different forms of cancers; and so I want to put my good health to use by running while I can and raise money in honour of each and every one of them. Thank you for taking the time to visit my fundraising page and for supporting me along my journey, it is all very much appreciated!


All information about the work that the ICR does can be found at: www.icr.ac.uk. However, here are just some of their most influential discoveries:
•    Identifying many of the cancer-causing chemicals in cigarette smoke and coal tar – including the first pure carcinogen ever to be isolated.
•    Discovering early chemotherapy drugs - They were the first in Europe to develop chemotherapeutic agents. They discovered, and with The Royal Marsden, developed the chemotherapy drugs busulfan, chlorambucil, melphalan and carboplatin; which are still in use worldwide more than 50 years later.
•    Providing the first conclusive evidence that the basic cause of cancer is damage to DNA. This discovery changed scientific opinion dramatically and marked a turning point in the field of cancer research. Up to that point, proteins had widely been thought to be the site of action for carcinogens
•    Discovering the function of the thymus and mading key findings on the function of the two main subsets of lymphocytes: T cells and B cells. This was the fundamental basis for modern immunology and cancer immunotherapy.
•    Playing a major role in revealing the biochemical steps of the RAS-RAF-MAP kinase pathway. They identified one of the major mechanisms by which RAS oncogenes cause normal cells to become cancerous and provided new targets for cancer therapeutics.
•    Identifying the breast cancer gene BRCA2, which enabled families with a history of breast cancer to be assessed for future risk, and laid the groundwork for developing novel forms of therapy for BRCA-associated cancers.
•    Transforming the care for advanced prostate cancer by validating inhibitors of androgen production as an effective cancer treatment, and discovering and developing abiraterone - a life-extending prostate cancer drug.

* Please note * 
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.