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• Rob Waite

Rob Waite's 12 Month Charity Challenge

Since I was given the all clear from testicular cancer, I wanted to do something positive that made a difference. One of my life ambitions was to cycle from John O’Groats to Lands End. I also thought I’d like to spend time talking to people about my experiences with cancer with the aim of raising awareness of testicular cancer. I decided I would spend a year raising funds and awareness for Orchid. My big challenge was the cycle ride across Britain, but that was the physical side of my year. The emotional side was visiting schools to talk to sixth form pupils about what I’d been through.

Over the last year I have completed the London Duathlon and the BUPA 10k – dressed as a walnut! I held a cycle-a-thon in my work place and I’ve also cycled across Britain; 900 miles in 9 days. I’m proud to say I’ve also spoken to over 1,500 sixth form pupils about testicular cancer. We held presentations at six schools; the pupils, both boys and girls, listened intently and asked some really good questions afterwards. The sense of achievement in educating the pupils was an immense feeling. I was doing something really positive – possibly saving their lives.

The ride across Britain was as incredibly exhilarating as it was draining, both emotionally and physically. Safe to say it was the hardest challenge I have ever done. However the feeling of crossing the line is something I’ll never forget and will certainly hold onto forever. During the highs and lows of the challenge the thought of what I had achieved kept me going, but it was the words of my wife Emma that stuck with me to the end. She told me during a 10k run over a year ago when I expressed the need to slow down - “You beat cancer, you can do this!”

I believe I am one of the lucky ones as not everyone beats cancer. However since I won my fight, I chose not to take life for granted - I took my second chance at life to hopefully help save someone else’s.

My year of campaigning could not have been achieved without the fantastic support of the staff at BMI The Chaucer Hospital and the love and support of my wife Emma and my twin girls Molly-Ella and Bethany.