Nick M – Nike Melbourne Marathon Festival

“On 11 October, Nick Martin from Proactive Health will take on the Melbourne Marathon in support of his sister, Lucy, and close friend, Eoin, who are both currently facing bowel cancer.

“I’m running the Melbourne Marathon for my sister Lucy and one of my closest friends, Eoin. Both were diagnosed with bowel cancer in the last nine months.

Eoin was diagnosed with Stage 3 bowel cancer in November last year. He had emergency surgery to remove the tumour, then six months of chemo after they found it had spread to his lymph nodes.

Lucy was diagnosed with Stage 4 bowel cancer in March this year with her only symptom being a couple of months of fatigue before developing more severe pain. Scans found it had spread to her liver. She’s now on immunotherapy and responding well so far.

Cancer is an extremely difficult diagnosis throughout life, and especially for these two in their early 40’s. The way they have handled themselves has been unbelievable. I’ve watched both of them go through this without complaining once, more worried about how everyone else is coping than themselves. Their strength, determination and resilience are something I am so proud of.

To help me through on the day, I’ll be thinking about the two of them. I’m chasing a sub-3-hour marathon and just to make this a little more interesting, I will double my donation if I fail to achieve it.

Bowel cancer is Australia’s second-deadliest cancer but caught early it’s also one of the most treatable. Any donation helps fund the research and treatment that Lucy and Eoin, and people like them, rely on.” ~ Nick.

If you were inspired by Nick’s awareness and fundraising efforts and would like to support Bowel Cancer Australia through a sporting event, please get in touch with us through our webform.