Surrey cancer survivors take on assault course

'Team TYAC' raise money for Royal Surrey County Hospital Charity

Tuesday 4 September 2018

Four cancer survivors from Surrey completed The Nuts Challenge on Sunday (2 September) in aid of the Royal Surrey County Hospital Charity.

Adam Golder, 26 from Guildford, signed up for the 14K assault course in Dorking after benefiting from the Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Service (TYAC) at the hospital.

Diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2015 at the age of 23, Adam underwent surgery to remove the tumour. Unfortunately he then needed further chemotherapy treatment after the tumour spread some months later.

Adam said: “It was at this stage that I was introduced to the hospital’s TYAC service and informed about the support it offers. During treatment, and even after, you receive counselling and opportunities to connect with other people going through the same thing, and the service also arranges regular meet ups.

“That sense of community was really special to me: I’ve made some great friends. We’ve all had different experiences but we share a common ground. The meet ups give an opportunity to talk as much or as little about cancer – sometimes it’s a good distraction; other times it helps to know there’s someone to talk to who’s gone through something similar.”

Adam took on the challenge with three friends he met through the service: Rob Butcher, 24 from Fleet; James Cooper, 26 from Northampton; and Joni Kirk, 26 from Manchester. And if the obstacle course through mud and water wasn’t challenging enough, ‘Team TYAC’ decided to complete the 14K challenge dressed as the news team from film, Anchorman.

Adam said: “The ethos of TYAC is all about finding positivity and good humour in the worst situations and I wanted to take on a challenge that matched that ethos.

“Despite the suits becoming encased in mud and grime almost immediately, we pressed on. It took four and a half hours to climb, crawl and haul ourselves over the near 200 obstacles that we faced, costing us dearly in trousers and fake moustaches. We were exhausted, but true to the spirit of TYAC we faced our challenge in the company of great friends who were there to pull each other out of the muck – often literally!”

Adam is already over halfway towards achieving his £1,000 fundraising target. His workplace, Kelly’s Storage in Guildford, has agreed to match fund Team TYAC’s fundraising efforts pound for pound as part of its charity initiative, Kelly’s Storage Charity Events.

Analiese Doctrove, Head of Fundraising at Royal Surrey County Hospital Charity, said: “As well as equipment for our TYAC service, we also fund weekends away for patients, peer support groups and on site events. The money raised will mean we can support more young people who are living with cancer.

“We are so grateful to Team TYAC and Kelly’s Storage for their support – Adam and the team are a real inspiration to us.”

Adam finished treatment almost three years ago. He said: “There is no ‘all clear’ with cancer. There are no guarantees. You undergo horrendous treatment and all you can hope for is someone to say, ‘That should have worked.’

“You always have that fear and anxiety that it might return. And that’s why the TYAC Service at The Royal Surrey County Hospital is so incredible – it’s invaluable to have someone to talk to and someone who understands.”

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