Dave Gittins and son Ollie, along with friends and members of the Hereford Rowing Club have completed the challenge to cycle from London to Brighton in support of Dave’s wife, Anna Gittins, who is currently undergoing treatment for bowel cancer.
Dave and the team tackled the 55-mile route on 10 September 2023. The iconic cycle ride took them from the centre of the capital city, through the English countryside and down to the sunny Brighton seafront. The have raised £7,910 for Bowel Cancer UK.
Anna was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2022 at the age of 46. She is part of the parent support network of Hereford Rowing Club and her son Ollie was a member of the junior squad. Twenty members of the club came together with Dave and decided to take on this challenge to support Anna whilst also raising essential funds for Bowel Cancer UK, the UK’s leading bowel cancer charity.
Dave, aged 50, said, “Some of the ladies from the group decided they wanted to show support for Anna and her battle with this horrible disease by doing some fundraising. They came up with taking part in the London to Brighton ride.
“When I found out what they were doing I thought I wouldn’t mind a go at that. One thing led to another, and we ended up with 22 members and friends of the club also signing up to take part.
“Having just turned 50 and not having done anything particularly sporty for many years, I knew I was going to have to take the training seriously. After all, what was a little bit of pain for me after all the chemo and surgeries Anna has been through? Having something to concentrate on has helped us both get through some hard times in the last few months.
“Anna has been so touched by the generosity of our friends giving both their time and money to make the whole venture a success. Training as a large group and socialising afterwards has really helped from a mental health point of view.
“The day of the cycle is one I’ll never forget. It surpassed all our expectations, and everyone completed with no mishaps. There was such a buzz afterwards with everyone on the beach chilling out. If we have even made a small difference in raising awareness of this devastating condition, it will be a good job done.
“Anna is now wanting to push further in lobbying for younger people to be tested on the NHS and making more ladies of a certain age aware that a lot of the symptoms from perimenopause also cross over to bowel cancer.
“If Anna had not seen a particularly switched on GP, she would not have been diagnosed until much later because of putting existing symptoms down to perimenopause.
“Bowel Cancer UK does an amazing job, and it is a pleasure to help raise money for them.”
Almost 43,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer each year in the UK – making it the fourth most common cancer in the UK. It’s treatable and curable if diagnosed early.
Key symptoms to look out for include bleeding from your bottom, blood in your poo, a persistent and unexplained change in bowel habits, unexplained weight loss, extreme tiredness for no obvious reason and a pain or lump in your tummy.
Anyone who is experiencing one or more of these symptoms, or who feels that something ‘just isn’t right’, should contact their doctor straight away.
Luke Squires, Director of Fundraising for Bowel Cancer UK, says: “We’re so grateful to Dave and the Hereford Rowing Club for taking on such an impressive challenge for us and we send our huge congratulations to them for going above and beyond their fundraising target.
“The money they have raised will help us make more people aware of the signs and symptoms of the disease, provide expert information and support to patients and their families, fund vital research, and campaign for early diagnosis and access to best treatment and care.”
If you would like to support Bowel Cancer UK by taking part in the 2024 London to Brighton cycle, you can sign up here:https://www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/ltb2024
