I set up this page initially in June 2014, prior to completing the 2014 British 10k London Run. Only 2 weeks after this, my father passed away. Below is my initial story, written prior to my father's passing:

My motivation to get involved in Cancer Research began when my father was diagnosed of Lung Cancer in April 2012, however Cancer has affected my family dating back to before I was born.

My maternal grandmother Maureen died before I was able to meet her, whilst my Grandfather Ross, died in 2001. The relationship 'Papa' had with my cousins and I was a particularly special one, and we all looked forward to seeing him and spending time with him. Personally, I credit 'Papa' with giving me one of, if not my strongest passion in life in supporting Heart of Midlothian FC, being a fervent Jambo himself.

My other Grandmother and Auntie Helen have both overcome Breast Cancer in recent years, however my Auntie Susan continues in her battle against the same illness.

And the primary motivation for me to get involved with Cancer Research was the diagnosis of my father Phil  just over two years ago, an illness he still suffers from today. My Dad has always gone above and beyond the call of duty to give both my siblings and I the best possible opportunities in life. He was the one person I wanted to impress more than anyone, whether it was in an academic sense, or, in particularly,  in either football or cricket matches. Dad has always been my biggest fan, and I have never been satisfied with my achievements in life unless I gain his approval. I could bore you with countless stories which have stuck with me throughout my life describing how much he has enriched my life, and how lucky I am to have a father like him, but instead I will just say that I have not met a single person in my life who makes me laugh and smile as much as Dad.

I have high hopes that my father and I will share many more memories together. In particular, I wish to take him back to Tynecastle as he has done for me several times over the years, as well as enjoy many rounds of golf together. Cancer Research UK are doing tremendous work to find new treatments to help my father, my Auntie Susan and many more beat Cancer and enjoy a better quality of life.

I would be immensely grateful if you could donate any sum of money, no matter how big or small, to help me smash my target (and also beat the rest of my family - nothing wrong with a bit of friendly competition!) and help beat Cancer. This is only the beginning for me, I want to do so much more to help this cause.

Thanks for Reading