Dad’s bucket list cancer challenge
A Sunderland dad has raised almost £20,000 for Children with Cancer UK as he sets his sights on a bucket list challenge of running the London Marathon.
Chris Johnson, from High Barnes, is making the journey south to the capital where he will take part in the London Marathon tomorrow – something he has had on his bucket list since being diagnosed with incurable cancer in December 2019.
The 42-year-old decided to take on the challenge after doctors told him he had a gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST), a rare form of cancer which affects the digestive system, in an effort to raise the spirits of his wife Lucy and their three young children Luke, Molly and Nancy.
As part of his training for the event, Chris has run the Sunderland 10K, climbed to the peak of Scafell Pike and completed the Great North Run – all while raising money for charity.
He said: “Training has gone really well, this week is a tapering week to avoid injury and the Great North
Run was the last big run that I’ve done but I’ve been putting the work in at the gym.
"I’m excited for it but I’m trying not to get too worked up or anxious ahead of the run as I just want to go out there and enjoy it.
"I can’t wait for the crowds, that is what I’m looking forward to seeing the most, especially after the Great North Run in Newcastle.
"I think London will be more of the same and it is always great to see all the different charity vests and fancy dress costumes.”
Chris is just shy of raising £20,000 for Children with Cancer UK, something that he never thought that
he'd hit.
He added: “I’m just blown away by it, to think it started with a £3,000 target, then it was raised to £10,000 and now it is approaching £20,000.
"I would like to think that by the end of the weekend, the amount raised would be significantly above that £20,000 mark.
"It is still people from Sunderland and the North East who are showing me the most support, I can’t thank everyone enough.”
Children with Cancer UK is dedicated to fighting childhood cancer. It raises money for research and providing care for children with cancer and their families.