John Corner, 48, is taking part in the Grand Depart Classic, riding the whole of the first road stage of the 2018 Tour de France, the week before the professionals, for Prostate Cancer UK. The ride is 195km in one day, which is the furthest John has ever ridden since he was 20 years old.
Following helping to raise over £2000 last year for Prostate Cancer UK with the help of the local pool league he runs, John was looking for a fresh challenge as he approached 50. He was inspired to support the charity again to raise both awareness and funding and beat this disease.
Prostate Cancer UK believes men are worth fighting for, and by supporting the charity, John is pledging his support, and helping to join the fight in beating prostate cancer.
Taking place in the Vendée region of western France on the 23rd June a week before the pros, the Grand Depart Classic starts in The Passage du Gois, one of the rare road paths to be entirely covered by the sea at high tide, 12 hours are allocated to the stage which starts at 7am. Johns initial target for fundraising was £1000 but has already broken the £2000 mark and isn’t stopping there.
John Corner said: “Everyone I have approached has been so generous, and the fundraising has already smashed my expectations. I am currently the third highest fundraiser out of all of the 250 cyclists taking part in the event and on track for a custom cycling jersey in the spirit of the Tour de France but don’t think I will get the yellow jersey!
“Training is tough, I have lost a stone in weight since November and have a fitness trainer and specialist 16 week cycling training schedule developed specifically for the event, a long way to go as I have never done that distance in a day. I didn’t even do 195km in the whole of last year up to Christmas!
James Beeby, Director of Fundraising at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “It’s fantastic to see that John has decided to enter the event to raise funds for Prostate Cancer UK. Prostate Cancer is something that cannot be ignored and by doing this they are joining the fight and helping to make a difference.
“Currently one man dies every 45 minutes from prostate cancer in the UK. That’s 11,000 men a year. Based on current trends, if we ignore prostate cancer and do nothing, this number will rise to over 14,500 men a year by 2026. And by 2030 it’s predicted to be the most common cancer overall“. Whatever you do together, big or small, you’ll be helping us push for real change, from more effective testing to better treatments.”
To sponsor John please visit
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/johnsgranddepart
or text MODE77 £ followed by your amount in Pounds to 70070
ENDS
To contact John Corner please visit his training blog at https://johncorner.co.uk/prostate-cancer-uk-grand-depart/
For more information on Prostate Cancer UK please contact:
Harriet Argyle at Prostate Cancer UK on 020 3 310 7097
Notes to Editors
About Prostate Cancer UK
Prostate Cancer UK leads the fight against prostate cancer. We fund ground-breaking research, drive improvements in treatment, and fight injustice in care. Now we’ve set ourselves the toughest challenge yet: to stop prostate cancer being a killer.
Through shifting the science over the next 10 years to focus on radical improvements in diagnosis, treatment, prevention and support, we can make prostate cancer a disease the next generation of men need not fear.
See our 10-year strategy
Key headline statistics
- 11,000 men die from prostate cancer in the UK each year. That’s one man every 45 minutes.
- It’s the most common cancer in men, with 330,000 living with and after the disease in the UK.
- Prostate cancer is set to become the most commonly diagnosed cancer of all in the UK in 2030 – which is why we must all act now to curb its power to kill.
- Prostate cancer treatment often causes devastating, long term side-effects. Incontinence and erectile dysfunction strike at the heart of what it means to be a man.
- Anyone with concerns about prostate cancer may contact Prostate Cancer UK’s Specialist Nurses in confidence on 0800 074 8383 or online via the Live Chat instant messaging service: www.prostatecanceruk.org. The Specialist Nurse phone service is free to landlines and open from 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday with late opening until 8pm on Wednesdays.
- Visit www.prostatecanceruk.org now to help beat this disease.
