Mark Bowman

Mark Bowman is taking on the challenge of running both the Great North Run and the Chicago Marathon in 2010. He has chosen to support World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF UK) in memory of his mum, who sadly passed away in 1993 from cancer. Please show Mark your support and encouragement by donating below. Thank you in advance for supporting Mark and WCRF UK.

"My early teens were completely devastated due to Cancer. My Mother lost a long battle against the disease so I know just as well as most what an impact it has on your life. It’s not only eventually losing that person in your life to Cancer, but having to witness what it does along the way that is as painful as eventually losing that special person.

My families Cancer nightmare peaked in 1993 just as I started my GCSE's, tearing right through our whole family. The following 3 years became the hardest years of my life to date. Looking back it was time of pain, loss, emptiness and worry for my family, something that no teenager should ever have to endure. Although I feel that it has shaped me as a person (as cliché as that may sound), made me strong and independent, it left memories that will never leave me.

It’s these awful memories that have led me to wanting to achieve the goal that I have set myself. It’s my personal bid to help stop cancer inflicting such pain on others. So for this reason my aim is to raise a minimum of £1,100 for World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF UK) by running both the Great North Run and the Chicago Marathon.

Any amount of money you can afford, especially during the recession will be great. Cancer is an awful disease, that often leads to one devastating outcome, but with money raised and spent in areas of research and prevention then we can beat it. WCRF UK is at the forefront in their efforts in research and prevention before it strikes, but these activities desperately need funding and for this reason I chose to raise money for WCRF UK.

For those of you who would like to donate to my personal cause and would like to know more about the reasons behind why I am doing this then please feel free to chat to me at anytime. My mother was a beautiful, kind, happy person who always put everyone else first before herself even when she was fighting the disease, so she deserves to be talked about and I am more than happy to do that with any of you.

Thanks.”

- Mark Bowman