When he was five years old, Sam Cooper, now 33, lost his mum to sarcoma, a rare type of cancer that starts in soft tissues or bones. On 12 October, he will be running the Royal Parks Half Marathon in her memory, hoping to raise £1,000 to support our groundbreaking research.
Given how young I was when my mother died, I’m not really sure that I fully understood what was going on at the time, but growing up without her certainly had a huge impact on me, as well as on my brother (who is two years older than me), and my father who, it has to be said, did an amazing job raising two young boys whilst simultaneously working full time as a GP (albeit with help from amazing family and friends of course). Fortunately for us, everyone we knew, including teachers and staff at our school, rallied round and proved to be invaluable. In fact, the one silver lining in such circumstances was the amazing support of friends and family.
It's not generally something I talk about very much, but I’m sure ours is a story that will resonate with many other people whose lives have been so profoundly affected by cancer.
‘I’m not a natural runner’
It feels particularly poignant to be gearing up to run my first half marathon for the ICR as I reach the age my mum was when she was first diagnosed with cancer, emphasizing that one should always seize opportunities while one has the chance, for whatever reason. I’m certainly conscious that the older I get, the more my knees might kick up a fuss about hauling my full 85kg around London for 13.1 miles!
I’m not a naturally gifted runner, having not been particularly sporty at school and having more of what might diplomatically be called a ‘rugby build’. Indeed, rugby has generally been my go-to sport, but these days I feel I’m tempting fate a bit too much, so I have hung up my boots for now.
Naturally, I’ve been doing more running as the race gets closer, pushing the boat out a bit beyond my usual Saturday morning plod round the course at my local Parkrun. I’ve done a few 10Ks and Tough Mudders in the past, but a half marathon really will be another step up for a profoundly mediocre, part-time runner like me. Maybe one day I’ll come close to catching up to my father, who runs 5k or 10k virtually every day and has even done a few half marathons himself. Given that he is now 70, he might provide some inspiration to anyone who thinks they’re too old to start running!
I wanted to do the Royal Parks specifically for a couple of reasons. Apart from it being a beautiful route, taking in some stunning London landmarks, it’s also rather flat so being from Norfolk, it suits me and my in-built aversion to hills. I’m also conscious that it’s a big event so hopefully all the other runners and people along the route will give me enough support to prevent me from giving up halfway round in favour of a sneaky pint at the pub. I also have a few family members coming to cheer me on, but that could easily be a result of my having booked a table nearby for lunch afterwards! I’m aiming to just get round the course, rather than to finish in a particular time, but it would be great to come in somewhere around the two-hour mark.
‘The focus on research is important to me’
With cancer having had such a profound impact on my life, and also that of my partner who lost a parent to cancer at a young age too, there really wasn’t any question of there being another cause for me to raise money for.
In running the Royal Parks, I’m hoping to raise around £1,000 for the ICR. Having experienced first-hand the devastating effects of cancer, I’m looking forward to being able to do something positive for this cause and make some small contribution to the fight against the disease.
I have chosen to support the ICR because of the focus on research. It is by supporting institutions that improve our understanding of different cancers and thereby find practical solutions and treatments for them that we can have the most profound impact on limiting its effects in the future, improving the lives of both cancer patients and their families. To me, it feels like the most direct way to make an impact going forward.
Cancer affects everyone, either personally or through knowing someone who has been diagnosed with it. It is surely the most pervasive and unforgiving medical hardship most of us will ever experience, made even harder in so many cases by its increasing prevalence among the young.
‘Now seems the right time’
Developing new treatments is the only way to improve and save lives. Many commonplace cancer treatments used today originated at the ICR, so I am excited to be raising money for an organization with a proven track record in cancer research.
Anyone who knows me will likely testify that strenuous exercise is something I have generally strived to avoid in the past, but to be honest I’m not sure anyone would have sponsored me to sit in a comfy chair and eat biscuits. That said, I have really enjoyed my training so far and look forward to something good coming out of it.
That’s why now seems the right time to take on a half marathon for my mum and for a very worthwhile cause.
To support Sam and The Institute of Cancer Research, visit Sam's fundraising page.