10 in 10
AN EPIC CHALLENGE
Welcome to my 10 in 10 page
In this website you’ll learn a little about an epic challenge; the reason for my choice of event and why I’m pushing the endurance envelope. There’s a call to arms and all the data as to why this isn’t a standard ‘charity’ request.
WHAT AM I DOING?
Not an existential question.
To mark 10 years of Team V and to celebrate Anna’s contribution, I’m going to lace up and run a marathon.
Or Ten.
In Ten Months.
In Ten Countries.
Ten different letters of the alphabet.
Chicago October 2023
Gran Canaria November 2023
Hong Kong 21 January 2024
Welsh 17 March 2024
Zurich 21 April 2024
Riga 19 May 2024
Edinburgh 26 May 2024
Midnight Sun 22 June 2024
Filippide (Sicily) 4 August 2023
Oslo 21 September 2024
(Other marathon dates waiting for confirmation)
MARATHONS
COUNTRIES
MONTHS
I’M LOOKING FOR:
• Ten friends to run with
• Ten businesses to sponsor a marathon each
• £10 from you towards the cause
Can you help?
THE VERRICO STORY
This story isn’t really mine; it’s that of my late wife, Anna.
In early 2013, Anna was diagnosed with early stage triple negative breast cancer – a poorly understood, aggressive disease which is particularly lethal in young women. Mid-way through chemotherapy, she set her sights on raising enough money to support a doctoral student for a year at university to research treatment for the disease. Her method? Running. Despite struggling to walk, she challenged herself to train for the local half marathon, one foot after the other, mile after mile. She encouraged friends and family to support her and a few ‘Team Verrico’ T-shirts were created so that we would spot each other on the course.
Unfortunately for Anna, the chemotherapy was ineffective. By the time the half marathon arrived, the cancer had metastasised; Anna’s own race ended just two months later.
Yet her strength, courage and determination lived on. We couldn’t let her die twice. Her memory lives on, not just in her children, but also in the volunteer charity, Team Verrico, which has raised over £1 million since.
WHAT IS TEAM VERRICO?
Charity number : 1158126
www.teamverrico.org
Having cancer is a long, hard and mostly joyless journey. After an initial diagnosis, those affected enter a dark tunnel of grief, guilt, anger, denial, fear, isolation and anxiety. Colliding together in a hideous kaleidoscope of blind terror, the quest to get better is a journey filled with monsters, cliffs and boogeymen. Team Verrico’s mission is to fight alongside those afflicted to achieve positive outcomes, bringing hope where there is none, creating ‘more tomorrows.’ This is developed via 3 main spheres of activity:
The most important is to support men and women who have children under the age of 18 who face a rare or hard to treat cancer who are sent for private consultations with the leading oncologists and surgeons in the UK – this often results in a change to treatment plans. The charity also fund genetic testing and other scientifically proven methods of treating the disease.
Sphere Two is practical assistance. The charity supports those affected by cancer, including the patient and their family by counselling through the diagnosis and beyond, also offering support such as childcare on chemotherapy days or a cleaner to help during intensive treatment; hotel stays for a spouse where a family member is receiving treatment hundreds of miles away or food parcels in the immediate aftermath of a death.
Sphere Three is research and the focus of this challenge. Team Verrico supports niche research projects which do not receive funding from Cancer Research as they either focus on rare cancers or are too small to attract funding. The charity currently has projects running at University of Sheffield, University of Brighton and Cardiff.
The charity’s five trustees are all drawn from professional services – four lawyers and one HR Director – meaning that decision making is focused in a volunteer led context with low overheads on achieving the mission.
Why should I support this charity?
The charity operates on a no salary basis so overheads are kept to an absolute minimum with no employees or premises to drain funds. It operates virtually and nationwide.
GET INVOLVED
Donate £10
Are you able to provide hope to others?