A LEADING Coventry and Warwickshire figure will be taking part in a gruelling walking challenge to raise funds for blood cancer charity Cure Leukaemia.
Martin Yardley, acting chief executive at Coventry City Council and chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, will complete a 100km route with his teenage son Tom.
The Dixons Carphone Race to the Stone challenges contestants to walk, jog, or run a 100km route along The Ridgeway – believed to be Britain’s oldest road.
Starting on Saturday (July 15) the duo will be joined by Clive Read, partner at Veale Wasbrough Vizards in Birmingham, and Josh Hartle, a solicitor at Birmingham-based Shakespeare Martineau.
The quartet aim to raise funds towards a £1 million appeal to expand the Centre for Clinical Haematology at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.
The team was inspired to take on the challenge after meeting 49-year-old Deborah Harkins from Worcestershire, who is director of public health in Dudley, and was treated at the hospital for acute myeloid leukaemia.
Martin said: “I have enjoyed plenty of hiking on my holidays but this is going to be completely different.
“It will be tough walking non-stop for 24 hours whatever the weather and we will be walking through the night which will present its own challenges.
“The fact we are raising money for such a worthy cause as Cure Leukaemia will concentrate our minds when we become tired and – having met Deborah – we know how valuable and life-changing the work of Cure Leukaemia is.”
Deborah was given access to a ground-breaking treatment for her condition in a clinical trial and she’s making excellent progress.
She said: “When you are hit by a blood cancer diagnosis, you learn to treasure every single second and since I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in 2016 I have tried to make sure I make time for the things I love.
“One of those hobbies is walking and I have set myself a target of walking 1,000 miles in 2017.
“I am only able to do this due to the world leading treatment I have had access to thanks to the Centre for Clinical Haematology and Cure Leukaemia.
“Without this treatment, I would probably not be here now but thankfully I am and still able to enjoy my walking.”
Visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/100kmIn24h to sponsor Martin and the rest of the team.
