Chrissie Wellington gives cancer survivor a Special Day of training
220 columnist gives a boost to cancer survivor's recovery and marathon training
Britain’s Ironman legend Chrissie Wellington recently met with cancer survivor Tim Perkin from Cheltenham as part of national charity Willow’s Special Days programme, which gives seriously ill 16-to-40 year olds uplifting and memorable experiences.
Tim was diagnosed with bowel cancer at the age of 33 and subsequently had life-saving surgery and went through months of chemotherapy.
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Only six months after finishing his chemotherapy, Tim was racing in the Bath Half Marathon and is now training for the 2015 London Marathon.
In February, Chrissie – a 220 regular and four-time world Ironman champion – met with Tim to give him some advice on his training.
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Speaking of his Special Day, Perkin said, “We had a lovely time, Chrissie was very easy to get along with and she gave me some great ideas and tips on training and getting back into shape. I am really very grateful to her for giving up her time to meet with me.”
Willow is a national charity that works with seriously ill young adults by giving them one of their Special Days. Some people take this as an opportunity to fulfil a dream while others use it as a chance to return some normality to their lives.
“I was honoured that Tim chose to meet with me for his Special Day. To have gone through what he has and to have achieved so much is awe-inspiring,” said Wellington.
“We talked about a range of different things, from bike and run training, to nutrition, to his battle with cancer and also his efforts to try to help improve treatment for cancer sufferers and survivors.”
For more information about Willow visit www.willowfoundation.org.uk or telephone 01707 259777.
Rob Slade
