In March last year our friend John was in the middle of planning a super-active retirement, sailing on the high seas with his wife Jenny and meeting up with lots of family and friends. A sudden seizure put paid to those plans. John was diagnosed with Stage 4 Glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer whose survival rates are slim and where treatments haven’t changed in the last 30 years. Instead of planning ocean routes and island destinations, John’s life now revolves around surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and endless tests and scans.

Undaunted by all this, John has decided to take on a mad and very tough challenge: skinning up and skiing down the equivalent of the 8848m height of Mount Everest over four days in the Alps in March.

Of course, he couldn’t possibly do this on his own, so 11 of us have decided to join him in this quite daunting challenge. Not only have we been motivated by our huge admiration for John, but also by the fact that new treatments for brain cancer are within reach. The Brain Tumour Charity is coordinating efforts not only to support people with brain cancer but also to fund research projects around the globe, many of which are getting good results. Funds are desperately needed to get some of these projects over the line - which is where YOU come in. We would love your support so please do give generously - more than 4500 people are diagnosed with Glioblastoma every year in the UK, both young and old. It could hit any of us just as it has hit John.

And finally, a word from John: “Since I’ve been on this journey, I’ve been amazed not only by the care that I’ve received from medical professionals, but also by the exciting progress that’s being made in treatments for this devastating disease, particularly in the fields of AI and immunotherapy. Fitting in hard-core training around hospital appointments and physical setbacks has been arduous, but knowing that we can make a real difference in outcomes for brain cancer sufferers makes it all worthwhile. I also can’t wait for the challenge itself - climbing the height of Everest with a fantastic group of people, all for a great cause - what could be better?”