When it comes to cancer research, many people feel very passionate about it. They want the world’s best scientists to come up with a cure for this frightening disease, and whether they have suffered with it themselves, a family member or friend has had it, or they are just scared that it exists and could harm them or the people they love, they want to help as much as possible.
There are countless ways to raise money for research charities, but one way that people enjoy is running. Running is a fantastic way to raise money as people are generally happy to donate to a good cause, but also because the runner themselves will be able to take the opportunity to push themselves and take on a challenge. With that in mind, here are some inspirational stories about runner who have raised money for cancer research and challenged themselves in exactly this way.
Terry Fox
Terry Fox, a Canadian athlete, became a household name in 1980 when he decided to embark on an epic journey across the country. This was called the Marathon of Hope, and it was all about raising money for charity. Terry himself had lost a leg at the age of 18 due to cancer, and he wanted his challenge to raise both awareness and money for a cause he felt very strongly about.
Despite Fox’s physical issues and health challenges, he was able to run 3,339 miles (about 5,373 kilometers) across Canada. This gave him a lot of attention, and he became, quite surprisingly to him, a real symbol of hope. Sadly, the cancer that had taken his leg returned because he could finish the run, and he did pass away, but the Terry Fox Foundation was set up to carry on his work.
Harrison O’Brien
In 2017, Harrison O’Brien decided that he was going to take on an incredible challenge; he would run seven marathons in seven days. The reason behind this was not just to create a challenge for himself, but to raise money for his brother’s cancer treatment. His brother, Tom, was seven years older than him and had been diagnosed with uveal melanoma, a rare form of eye cancer.
The total distance Harrison would run was 183.4 miles (295 kilometers), and this alone garnered widespread attention not just in his local community but across the UK and the world. The great news is that Harrison completed his challenge and did raise enough money to help towards Tom’s cancer treatment and recovery.
Irene Ghobrial
Irene Ghobrial is a doctor who has spent her life trying to find different treatments for cancer that will help her patients in the best ways possible. In 2016, she decided that she would take this one step further and start to raise money for charities as well. This is something that all cancer treatment centers, such as the Moffitt Cancer Center will appreciate, as the more money is raised, the more they can help people as well. Ghobrial decided to specifically tackle a half marathon taking place in Alaska, and started spending all her spare time training for it. She actually trained with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program, which was specifically set up to help those who wanted to run endurance challenges to raise money for cancer and leukemia research.