Students join battle
STUDENTS from Auckland Grammar School are going to great lengths for a teacher who is in the United States getting treatment for aggressive prostate cancer.
One hundred athletes from the school run 1000 miles under 100 hours to raise money for a predetermined charity every four years.
But this year’s charity begins much closer to home.
Economics teacher and cross country coach Rodney Gordon has been at the school for more than 20 years and pupils rallied to his support when he found he prostate cancer.
‘‘I didn’t tell my students. I was diagnosed in July and I just kept on.
‘‘I felt the same, so I just kept on teaching and kept on coaching until the end of that year. I think they found out during the holidays,’’ Mr Gordon says.
The 45-year-old leads a healthy lifestyle – he doesn’t smoke, eats well and is a top triathlete.
So it was a ‘‘surprise’’ to learn he had prostate cancer after a routine checkup, he says.
The father of two was given just a couple of years to live after the cancer spread rapidly to his pelvis and chest.
He took it in his stride after doctors told him they wouldn’t treat the cancer in his chest and he sought a second opinion in the United States, where he found a radiation oncologist who agreed to treat him.
‘‘I wanted to give myself the best shot by doing all of the areas it has spread to,’’ Mr Gordon says.
He received seven weeks worth of treatment in January, and departed for LA on Sunday for a further six weeks of radiation therapy.
He also takes hormone therapy treatment to treat the testosterone in the body.
But the drugs don’t come cheap at $2000 a month.
The students have held car washes and quiz nights which have raised thousands of dollars to help with his mounting health bill.
‘‘It’s been incredible, unbelievable really.
‘‘Because it wasn’t just the boys, it was the parents and it was the school, fellow teachers, the board of trustees – the whole Grammar com- munity,’’ Mr Gordon says.
Organiser Brien McCrea hopes the 1000 Miler Charity Relay will raise about $25,000 to help with the expensive treatments. Mr McCrea came up with the idea for the 1000 Miler relay 44 years ago and has raised money for charities like CanTeen, FADE and Child Cancer.
‘‘Obviously I’ve done a lot of this since 1970, so when it came to a very close mate you try a little harder.
‘‘He’s a very special guy and he’s a champion coach here.’’
The boys began the relay at 8am Monday on an 800-metre course set out within school grounds.
They have been running three eight-hour shifts, divided between the juniors, intermediates and seniors.
The students are required to complete 1690 laps during the 100 hours and will finish some time this afternoon.
‘‘I’m very thankful to the boys,’’ Mr Gordon said before his departure for the US.