On the 23rd April, I will be running the London Marathon for Fitzy's Fund alongside my girlfriend Liv, in honour of my dear friend Sam Fitzsimmons (pictured right) who lost his life to Ewing's Sarcoma in May 2020. 

Sam was a force of nature full of joie de vivre. He was fun, loving and lovable with a very wide circle of friends. He worked hard and played hard, making the most of life. 

As one of my best friends, I was lucky enough to share some of the most formative years of my life with him. Together with friends, we travelled across Europe, trekked across the Sahara Desert and shared countless joyful times at music festivals and beyond in the 10 years of our friendship. As we passed through life and hit milestones when finishing school, university and getting our first jobs, Sam was always there. He was somebody I could always look to for advice, and it was a testament to him as an individual that so many of our friends looked up to him in the same way. 

It was devastating for us all when Sam was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma in July 2018, at which point, there were already tumours throughout his body. Despite this, he never shied away from the challenge facing him. Right until the end, he was an inspiration, meeting the illness with courage, grace and, more often than not, humour. Since his passing, there is rarely a day that goes by when I don't think about him, and I miss him dearly. 

The aim of Fitzy’s Fund is to raise awareness of lesser known cancers such as Ewing's Sarcoma. The money I raise will help fund research into the illness, where current treatments are limited and there are low survival rates. 

Any donations would be massively appreciated, and will help spur me on through training and to the finish line! 

Elliot 

Links

Liv's fundraising page: 

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/livanderson-lynch?utm_source=copyLink&utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=livanderson-lynch&utm_campaign=pfp-share&utm_term=e0452953dd4347f083d1f276ffaf89ed 

For more information about Sam, the fund and the amazing initiatives behind it, see the icons at the bottom of the page.