June 29th 2014: A Day in the Lakes half ironman. One of the UK's hardest triathlon events, consisting of a 1.2. mile swim, 56 mile cycle and 13 mile run.  There's a very real chance I could show myself up...   

But there's also a very special reason why I am putting myself through this voluntarily!  And that reason is Jonny Webborn, my cousin, who died of malignant melanoma last November 27th, aged 25 years and 3 days.  Two months before he was diagnosed last year, Jonny raced in the Blenheim sprint triathlon and came home in a time of 1 hour and 36 minutes.  I shared that day with him and saw him do it.  Throughout the time of his illness, Jonny; my sports-mad, humble, brave, quietly witty cousin had to endure gradually losing the ability to do many of the things that mattered to him, including playing the guitar and of course, cycling and running.  He became weaker, until finally the cancer hospitalised him.  Jonny endured all without uttering a single word of complaint, so I think I can at least manage to do this in his honour.    

Everyday cancer causes pain and grief and raises questions as to why such suffering can be permitted, but there simply has to be a cure.  Look at the way we've managed to eliminate smallpox, tuberculosis and polio, to name but a few. There is currently no cure for melanoma.  

Jonny has two brothers, David and Roo Webborn, who remembered him by racing at Blenheim this year and both did him proud.  Although I live a long way away from my cousins, aunts and uncles, I hope that I will be able to add my efforts to theirs this June 

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Thank you; it means a lot

Kate xx