David Hillier: cycling to fight cancer
In late 2002 David Hillier was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer and given only two years to live. He was 37. And today? His blood tests show no detectable signs of prostate cancer.
Last year David asked his close friends to join him in riding the forty-two mile Five Boroughs Bike Ride in New York City. He managed to raise a staggering £209,295.69, making it the single most successful sponsored event we've ever had.
This year he's going one better, and plans to complete no less than FOUR sponsored rides for us. These are: The Etape du Dales in Yorkshire, The Dragon Ride in Wales, The Etape du Tour in France and The End-to-end on the Isle of Man (a mountain bike ride).
The first of these, the Etape du Dales, was cursed by atrocious weather but David managed to soldier on for 65 miles.
You can sponsor him at his JustGiving page, and you can read his excellent blog which will keep you up to date on his progress.
The good thing about taking part in rides like this is that it gives me something to aim for. Something to stay alive for. And I think that’s vital for anyone who is fighting cancer. Just as important is the fact that it helps to raise awareness of prostate cancer and the need for everyone to be vigilant against it.
Prostate cancer is obviously a man's disease, but everyone should be aware of it and the signs that indicate its early stages. If you are a woman with a father, a brother, a son, or a husband it's as much an issue for you as it is for the man in your life.
If you are a man, then you have to act like a REAL man. Know what your prostate is, what it does, where it is, what the symptoms of prostate cancer are and get yourself tested regularly. Think you're too young? Think that it can't happen to you? Well it can. It happened to me.
I still don't know how much time I've got left on this earth. In fact, I've stopped asking my doctors now because they don't know either. The odds suggest not as long as most people. My heart tells me that I'm going to be the lucky one, the miracle man if you like. Don't know if that's true, but in the meantime, I'm going to stay positive, stay active and keep giving myself things to stay alive for. I wouldn't be able to look my wife and daughters in the eye if I did anything else.
Read my blog.