Mark Lyons, Christie fundraiser

After Mark was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2018, he was referred to The Christie for treatment. He had surgery and fortunately got the good news that his cancer was in remission shortly afterwards.

Ever since then, Mark has been a strong champion of The Christie. After taking on a Tough Mudder obstacle course to raise money for The Christie charity, Mark has now organised his own fundraising event in support of cancer patients.

With his company Mark Lyons Recruitment, Mark has organised a Virtual Cycle Tour of Britain with all proceeds going to The Christie charity. Between 7 and 13 May 2021, participants will track how far they cycle each day, whether that’s indoors on a static bike or out on the roads.

Riders will send in a photo of their daily total distance with daily podium places, yellow jerseys (most miles cycled) and King of the Mountains (most miles climbed) winners published each day. All riders’ mileage will be added up to see how much of Britain the riders can cover and riders’ final positions will be announced on Friday 14 May.

“I chose The Christie charity after being treated for testicular cancer back in 2018. Whilst receiving treatment, I met some lovely patients who had a much worse diagnosis and were terminally ill. Their spirit touched me deeply and given my diagnosis was found early, I felt like one of the lucky ones – not just lucky to be clear of the disease to date but to have met some fantastic staff and patients.
“Having previously raised money for The Christie charity in a previous Tough Mudder, it was only natural for me to try to raise more money again after setting up my own business last year in order to get to a wider audience.
“This event will remind me of the fantastic people I have met and those people who sadly are no longer with us.  It will drive me up the tough hills, or push me along the evening rides. This is for all those it took from us and to support all the future patients in The Christie’s care.”

  - Mark Lyons, Christie fundraiser

Are you interested in finding out more about how your company can support The Christie? Contact the corporate fundraising team by calling 0161 446 3988 or emailing the-christie.appeals.companies@nhs.net