TERRY's Challenge for Gerry

I am fundraising for the GI Cancer Institute and raising vital funds to support Gastro-Intestinal (GI) cancer research. Over 28,600 Australians are diagnosed with a GI cancer each year. Substantial advances have been made in the last 30 years, but there is still a long way to go. Research into vital new treatments is essential to improving treatment options and outcomes for patients. 

Terry’s Cancer journey

This is not a story about my cancer as I have not been diagnosed with anything other than that life ending disease called ageing!!!

It started in 2010 when my wife of 35 years Gerry was diagnosed with stomach cancer. We were told it had metastisised to all of her bones was inoperable and she had only a short time left.

Five weeks later she was gone. Devastating at the time and life changing for me.

18 months later and I was doing the ride for cancer over 200klms in her honour where I spent a day with her and managed to raise $7500 for cancer research.

Over the next 9 years I continued to do my Challenges for Gerry each year where I managed to raise around $7k each year. The third challenge was a 24hr fitness class challenge. This was 24 hrs of fitness classes at Centenary Health centre.

During this challenge at midnight we stopped for a 30min lunch break. During this break I was told my daughter’s father in law had passed away from cancer.

The next 2 years saw a good friend’s son pass away from pancreatic cancer leaving behind a wife and child and a grieving family.

I continued to do challenges with the Mater Foundation CLIMB FOR CANCER becoming my go to event which I did for 5 years running with each year adding one climb up waterfront place for each year Gerry had passed.

COVID came along and interrupted the events so I missed a couple of years but in 2022 we started again with the world’s longest staircase run up Mt Niesen in Switzerland. 12000 stairs straight up to 2600m for 12 years. This was an amazing event but the hardest challenge i have ever done. With a gradient of 55% average i was not prepared for the extreme physical and mental challenge it was but that is exactly what i look for in these challenges to remind me of the strength and courage Gerry had.

Not long after returning home my daughter-in-law’s father passed away from pancreatic cancer.

Now in 2023 as I prepare for another challenge later in November my daughter-in-law herself has been diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer and is currently undergoing treatment. She is 41 with 2 beautiful daughters. Just shows me how life can be so unfair and mystifying.

During all of this my sister has been battling breast cancer and other health issues.

So when people ask me why I do the challenges at first my response was to build a monument to Gerry however now I say to do my little bit to help those who can to find a cure for these cancers. ( Of course i am still building my own monument for Gerry at the same time and i want my children and grand daughters to know how special she was and how much we loved each other so they can always know she lives on in my heart.)

In October this year my challenge for Gerry will be the 24hrs Fit for Cancer. This will be held from 6am Friday with a Sunday funday afternoon to follow where I will be hoping to be able to consume a couple of bottles of a very fine red!!!

I ask you to consider giving generously to this event as we do not want to lose any more of our loved ones.

I will keep you all updated as we go.

all my love in anticipation of your support.

I walked a mile with pleasure 

and she chatted all the way

but left me none the wiser for what she had to say

I walked a mile with sorrow

and ne're a word said she

but oh the things i learnt when sorrow walked with me