An MRI senior radiographer from Nuffield Health Chester Hospital, The Grosvenor, is preparing to take on a full year of gruelling physical challenges to raise vital funds for The Brain Tumour Charity.
Claire Brown will be conquering numerous endurance challenges throughout 2017, including a 70-mile bike ride around North Wales in April and the Staffordshire 70.3 Ironman in June, in memory of a close friend who passed away in October 2015.
Claire’s friend Simon Dowle passed away from grade 4 glioblastoma, the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40 in the UK. Additionally, her father recently suffered from a bleed on his brain, spurring her on even further to complete a series of endurance challenges for The Brain Tumour Charity.
Sales and services manager at Nuffield Health Chester Jenny Gray said: “We are extremely proud of Claire and will be supporting her throughout all of her challenges in 2017.
“The Brain Tumor Charity is a remarkable organisation which offers support and information to families, and raises awareness and funds research into brain tumours. All of the money raised will go towards helping the charity continue its wonderful work.”
Claire said: “I love a challenge and I’m a very determined person. People are often judged by appearances, especially with this type of endurance event. I am not the stereotypical tall and skinny athlete that would usually take part in a triathlon and for that reason I am often underestimated.
“I have set myself an immense challenge, but I am spurred on by the fact that I will be raising money for the charity that gave my friend and his family such incredible support and advice before he passed away.
“Simon was such a generous, loving and funny person, and an amazing husband to his wife Lindsey and dad to his two beautiful children, to complete these challenges in his memory is a real honour.”
Claire added: “I have also experienced first hand the devastating effects that issues connected to the brain can have. When my dad suffered a bleed on the brain he didn’t recognise my family and I. He forgot simple information and didn’t know where he was or what day it was – it was heartbreaking.
“I know the money I raise will help The Brain Tumour Charity to continue its vital research and support families like Simon’s and mine.”
Simon’s wife Lindsay Dowle added: “We are overwhelmed by the challenges that Claire has set in Simon’s memory. We are extremely grateful that she is supporting The Brain Tumour Charity and will be cheering her on every step of the way.”
Geraldine Pipping, the charity’s director of fundraising, said: “We are so grateful to Claire for raising awareness and funds and we wish her the best of luck for her challenges.
“We receive no government funding and rely 100% on voluntary donations, so it’s only through the efforts of Claire and others like her that we can work towards our twin goals of doubling survival and halving the harm caused by brain tumours.
“Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and people under 40 in the UK and survival rates have not improved significantly over the last 40 years. We need to change that.”
To follow Claire’s journey, follow Nuffield Health Chester’s Facebook page and to donate visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/claire-brownIM
