Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

On October 24th 2009 my Grandad, Fred Townsend passed away after sudden diagnosis of cancer we only had only two weeks to say goodbye. He was the kindest, most caring, honest and inspiring man. When Grandad spoke you knew it was a careful considered answer that only ever meant the truth. Sometimes the truth can be hard to understand so at the end of it he was always there with best hug to make any troubles fade away. Cancer Research is working towards a cure to fight this terrible disease which will help to keep the hugs going for longer. I feel honoured to be inspired to raise money for such an important charity that will one day benefit us all.

Please help in whatever way you can by sponsoring myself in this mega triathlon challenge; 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, 26.2 mile run, and by doing so you will have a positive effect to those currently suffering, and fighting this illness in the future.

How common is cancer?

·         There are more than 200 types of cancer, each with different causes, symptoms and treatments.

·         More than 331,000 people were diagnosed with cancer in 2011 in the UK, that's around 910 people every day.

·         Every two minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with cancer.

·         More than 1 in 3 people in the UK will develop some form of cancer during their lifetime.

·         The risk of developing cancer up to the age of 50 years is 1 in 35 for men and 1 in 20 for women.

·         Breast, lung, prostate and bowel cancers together account for over half of all new cancers each year.

·         Cancer can develop at any age, but is most common in older people. More than a third of cancers are diagnosed in people aged 75 and over.

Cancer causes 1 in 4 deaths in the UK. With the important research these statistics are improving. Half of people diagnosed with cancer now survive their disease for at least ten years. Cancer survival rates in the UK have doubled in the last 40 years.

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.