Breaking Ground for Brain Tumours

“Great things are done when men and mountains meet” William Blake

The summer is flying by and as I think about our winter trek, I have continued to reflect on the stories of explorers whose footsteps our Head South expedition will be following in…

Now as you know it’s important for me to gather as much sponsorship as I can to help the fantastic Lewis Moody Foundation meet their goal of £250,000 to fund pioneering new research into brain tumours. And you can help me by clicking here and donating anything you can. 

Interestingly, during the ‘Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration’ front runners Scott, Amundsen and Shackleton were encouraged to focus on what their race to the pole meant for science rather than a bid for personal glory to generate the sponsorship they needed.

This divided the team; where Shackleton and Amundsen were more preoccupied with the speed and efficiency of their race, Scott had a genuine interest in science. Some say this passion slowed the journey down and led to a catastrophic chain of events with his party eventually suffering a cruel, slow death from starvation, hypothermia and almost certainly scurvy. 

But I think it’s time to change the legend of Captain Scott as a ‘bungling hero’ and highlight his contribution to science, which has been long overshadowed by the fatal outcome and a vicious blame game.

Scott’s remarkable scientific legacy had many outcomes:

• The team observed Emperor Penguins with their eggs for the first time ever in minus 60C conditions – so cold their teeth cracked!
• They collected over 2000 specimens of different animals and never-before-seen footage of polar creatures in action.
• A fossil from a 250 million old tree was found next to Scott’s body, ‘killer evidence’ that has provided baselines for today’s climate change studies. 

In the same way that this frozen continent is the key to understanding how our world works, our Head South mission is the key to supporting the Lewis Moody Foundation to beat brain tumours. 

I have joined the Head South team to help enable science to break ground in the research into brain tumours and tackle the dire survival rates of brain tumour victims under 40. 

Research offers the only real hope of dramatic improvements in the management and treatment of brain tumours. Over £500m is spent on medical research in the UK every year, yet less than 3% is spent on brain tumours.

Funds raised from the Head South challenge will enable The Lewis Moody Foundation to fund The Brain Tumour Charity’s revolutionary groundbreaking projects including The Tessa-Jowell BRAIN-MATRIX and BRIAN: the Brain tumouR Information and Analysis Network

A cure can’t wait… and I can’t wait to get cracking in the interests of science! Antarctica was (and still is) a hostile and formidable place. Pushing myself to the limit of possibilities, the limits of logistical support, of physical endurance and technological capability to reach its frozen edge is a small price to pay…

So please don’t delay… Dig deep and show your huge support for the Head South Team and donate today to support this life-changing cause and help us make tracks for brain tumours. 

LET’S TACKLE BRAIN TUMOURS TOGETHER. STARTING TODAY!

To donate to this great cause please click here today

Thank you for supporting me to help raise funds for everyone touched by Brain Tumours, together we can make a difference!