Thanks for visiting Graham and Roy's fundraising page.
What are we going to do?
From March 1st until we go down to the South West on 30 May we will prepare for our challenge by cycling over 1500 miles and then the fun will begin. We will cycle around 1000 miles from Lands End to John O'Groats - leaving Cornwall on Sunday 1 June and cycling over 70 miles a day, every day for 14 days until we arrive at the very top of Scotland on Saturday 14 June in time to see England's opening World Cup match. For two 50 plus men this is not just an excuse to wear loads of Lycra it's a real challenge.
Why are we doing this?
Roy's son Jason has a beautiful, kind and loving long term girlfriend called Sadie France. Last year Sadie, at just 22, was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer. Being diagnosed with cancer at just 22 was an incredible shock. Sadie was referred to The Royal Marsden whose pioneering research has given her real hope but there is still a massive battle for her.
Team Sadie want to raise as much money as possible to thank this incredible hospital for what they've already done and to help them find a cure for many forms of cancer. Jason and his friends have already raised an incredible £10,000 by completing an assault course on March 1st - their fundraising page ishttp://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=sadie&isTeam=true
Want to read Sadie's story?
http://www.getbucks.co.uk/news/local-news/jason-rance-friends-nuts-challenge-6519980
How can you help?
Simple - give us money and don't forget the gift aid. We're not competitive but we'd love to raise more than Jason and his friends so dig deep and think of Roy following Graham for all of those miles through whatever weather nature gives - and look at a map, it's uphill all the way!!
FRIENDS from a cricket club are tackling one of the UK’s toughest army assault courses to raise money for a young woman who completed it a week before being diagnosed with cancer.
Former Chesham Grammar School pupil and a First XI player for Chesham Cricket Club Jason Rance, 22, and his fellow team mates Umar Aslam, Jack Maciver, Barney Atkins, Matt Rance, Andrew Goddard, Ollie Turner and Max Maciver will do the Nuts Challenge on March 1 to raise money for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, which has been supporting his girlfriend Sadie France, 22.
A week after completing the Nuts Challenge on August 31 last year to raise money for a neonatal charity after her friend's baby was born prematurely, Sadie was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer.
The couple, who met at the University of Winchester just over two years ago, went to Australia for six months in November 2012 after graduating because Jason was invited to play cricket there.
This is when Sadie first noticed something was not right and experienced bowel changes and bad stomach cramps. She put it down to being in a different country and a change in drinking and eating habits.
Sadie said: "It was getting worse and worse and I was feeling so bad. I had two ultra sounds and some blood tests but nothing was picked up."
When Sadie came home her symptoms got worse and she could barely manage a packet of crisps.
Between May and September last year she went to the doctors eight times, but her GP dismissed Sadie's symptoms as constipation and period pain.
Sadie said: "When my mum saw me she said I looked so ill and I went to the doctors but they just put me on laxatives."
She then saw another doctor and demanded to go to hospital.
Sadie said: "I said I'm not leaving here until you look at me and tell me I need to go to hospital. I couldn't take any more, I felt horrific and I couldn't even go to the supermarket without needing to sit down after five minutes because I was in so much pain. I had really bad pain in my stomach, but the previous doctor didn't even touch it, if she had she'd of found I had a tumour the size of a melon in my belly."
Sadie went into hospital on the Friday and by the Monday she was diagnosed with cancer, but doctors were unsure if it was bowel cancer or ovarian cancer. Following tests, Sadie was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer 10 days later.
Sadie said: “I had looked online and saw I had eight out of the nine symptoms of ovarian cancer, I asked my mum what she though and like any friend or mum would say she said 'don't be ridiculous you don't have cancer.'
"When the doctors said it could be ovarian or bowel cancer I thought it all makes sense now. I should have said to my doctor I think this is what I've got, do something about it but there's no point on dwelling on what I could've done."
Sadie is urging young people to be persistent with their doctor if they think something is wrong.
She said: “I’ve met lots of young people aged 24 and under with cancer on my journey and there’s a massive problem with young people being diagnosed in later stages because doctors don’t believe us.
"I’d absolutely urge people to persist and boys to go the doctors in the first place. When you know something’s really wrong with your body you know and you need to make the doctor believe it.
"I'm a very happy and positive person and I didn't go in their miserable. My doctor apologised after and said 'I'm really sorry, I didn't think to test for cancer because you're such a positive person.'
"People need to be persistent, especially boys. I think girls are more persistent than boys. Boys need to be more confident to go to the doctors if they feel a lump or they're concerned. You always think it won't happen to me, I thought that but it can happen to anyone."
Sadie, has responded well to four rounds chemotherapy and had a hysterectomy last week and a small part of the tumour surgically removed. She is now due to have four more rounds chemotherapy.
After graduating, Sadie worked with children with severe special needs, but she is thinking of pursuing a different career in the future.
Sadie said: "I want to work with young people with cancer. Once you've gone through something like this you've got to get over it and move on and I want to use it to help other people."
Sadie, from Bromley, is thrilled the boys are raising money for The Royal Marsden.
The boys, who are calling themselves Team Sadie, have already raised more than £2,400 of their £5,000 target.
She said: “When Jason approached me and said he was going to do the Nuts Challenge I was so blown away and so happy because I'm normally the one who organises things! Him wanting to do it meant so much to me. He said he'd do it for any charity I wanted.
"The Royal Marsden is the best hospital in the world if you have cancer, and it's free. Everyone is so nice and friendly, they give me hope and they’re making me better. I wanted to give something back to them."
Jason's dad Roy Rance, from Chesham, is also raising money for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity by cycling from Land's End to John o' Groats with friend and former professional football referee Graham Poll. The pair are hoping to raise £10,000 for the charity.
Sadie (22) is fighting a hard battle with cancer