Welsh Men compete in World Iron Man contest for Tenovus
Thursday 1st July 2010
Men are dying of ignorance in Wales - every year around 9000 men are diagnosed with cancer, that’s over 22 men every day, sadly resulting in 5,000 deaths.
Five men from South Wales are competing in the world renowned Iron Man contest in Austria on Monday 5th July to raise funds for Tenovus, Wales’ leading cancer charity, in support of Tackle It! a campaign to raise awareness of male cancer.
All of the men taking part regularly challenge their fitness levels by competing in local triathlons, but an Iron Man Triathlon requires dedication to hours of training to build the endurance required to complete such an event. The Iron Man Triathlon consists of a 2.4 mile open water swim, followed by a 112 mile bike ride and a marathon to finish
Natalie Kell, Head of Community Fundraising at Tenovus said;
“It’s great that the boys are taking part and raising funds for Tenovus’ Tackle It! campaign. Sadly 70% more men die of cancer than women. Often these cancers are preventable through making better lifestyle choices but go undetected until it is too late to treat.
All of those taking part have known someone affected by cancer and are taking part in this challenge in their memory and help to encourage more men to engage with health services when they have any concerns and symptoms. “
Wales Football legend John Hartson, who has himself fought cancer, supports Tackle It! which aims to encourage more men to access health services when they have any symptoms or concerns.
John Hartson said;
“It’s very important for men and teenagers to check themselves regularly and if they are worried should then go and get their local GP to take a look. I for one and thousands more ignored the signs and this is when there is a massive danger that the cancer can spread and which is what happened to me.”
Tenovus are helping to tackle this problem by raising funds to develop education and research to help save men’s lives and encourage them to seek advice and support and not die of ignorance.
All sponsorship raised for this event will be donated to Tenovus to help continue to improve the lives of cancer patients and their families across communities of South Wales. For more information or to do make a donation please contact Natalie Kell on 07889 682 388
Join John and help Tenovus Tackle It! at www.tenovus.org.uk or visit our Tackle it! Facebook group. For information, advice and support call Tenovus Cancer Support Line free on 0808 808 1010
