I'm stoked that Mark 'Soda' Soderstrom will be joining me and running the New York Marathon too. 

Kerry and I first met Soda when he was co-hosting Flinders Foundation's Pink Yellow Blue Ball in 2016. He was deeply impacted by Kerry's story and wanted to help out, and he's regularly kept in touch since. He's also been a huge source of encouragement in pushing me to run marathons, so it's great he's coming along too!

Why am I fundraising and running the 2018 New York Marathon? Well let me give you a bit of the back story first.

In December 2016, my wife of 11 years and mother to my two children passed away from Breast Cancer.

Kerry was initially diagnosed in October 2011 when my daughter Caitlin was just over 6 months old and my son Lachlan was 4.

The cancer was big and aggressive. We had a tough fight ahead. 

With determination and a 'never give up' attitude, Kerry faced numerous surgeries, chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments. Kerry also tried many additional drug and clinical trials to give us every chance of beating this aggressive form of breast cancer. This was all happening while I took on the parent and carer role to raise our kids, look after Kerry and work to support our family.

Sadly, in October 2014 Kerry's cancer returned - but it was now in her breast, liver, lung, bones and the brain. Once again, we put on our boxing gloves and got ready to fight -  but we knew it was now terminal.

In October 2015 we booked Kerry’s dream holiday to America. Kerry’s dream was to take the kids to New York to visit Central Park.

The trip was booked and paid for and we were all excited. But sadly Kerry’s brain tumours grew too big, too quickly and it became too unsafe to travel. We had the cancel the trip and Kerry was devastated. 

But Kerry asked me to make a promise to her...that I would one day take the kids to Central Park. 

After Kerry passed away I made it my goal to get fit and be as healthy as I could for my kids to show them I wasn't going anywhere.

I started to exercise and although i'd never been a runner, somehow I started running! I was hooked. In October 2017 I ran my first full marathon in Melbourne.

When training one day for that marathon I met a lovely lady N'Tonya who was a very capable runner and training for her own marathon. This led to me meeting Anna from His and Her Time. Anna has a group of over 60 people heading to run the 2018 New York Marathon. It was meant to happen! 

It feels pretty special that the marathon finishes in Central Park.  Of course the kids will be there cheering me over that finish line!

Lastly... the cause

By supporting me and making a donation today, you'll be helping Flinders Foundation to establish a Cancer Wellness Centre on the ground floor of the Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer (FCIC).

This is a space that Kerry was helping to advocate for and plan when she was an ambassador for Flinders Foundation. 

The centre will provide support to help patients and their families to cope with a range of cancer effects and concerns, including fatigue, anxiety, financial and employment concerns, while also helping them to transition to life with cancer, and life after cancer. It's about not just providing cancer treatment - but also addressing other physical, emotional and practical concerns. 

So please, if you could give a donation - however big or small  - it will go a huge way in helping to open the doors of this Cancer Wellness Centre.

I will make sure I run the 2018 New York Marathon and honour Kerry's wish.

Thanks!