Derby ‘marathon man’ to run 740 miles to Switzerland for breast cancer charity

3/27/2012 11:26 AM EST

PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release: Tuesday 27 March 2012
Press contact: Marilena Patuto, Media Relations Officer, DD 0207 749 3720, Email:  

Derby ‘marathon man’ to run 740 miles to Switzerland for breast cancer charity

A Derbyshire man will be setting off on an epic 740 mile run to Switzerland this week to help raise money for breast cancer research.

Gerard Varin, 47, has set himself the gruelling challenge of running the equivalent of a marathon every day in April to help raise money for Breast Cancer Campaign and support the many women he knows who have been affected by the disease.

In his village of Duffield, which has a population of 5000, Gerard knows of at least nine women who have had breast cancer, including one of his closest friends who was diagnosed last year. The father-of-four also lost both of his parents to cancer before they reached the age of 60.

Gerard, who moved to the UK from Switzerland to be with his wife Helen 20 years ago, will be leaving his home on Sunday 1 April and will complete his run in Seleute, the village in North West Switzerland where he was born.

He is hoping to raise more than £20,000 for Breast Cancer Campaign and as a self-employed landscape gardener will also be missing out on five weeks of earnings to take on the marathon challenge.

Gerard said: “It’s shocking that in this one small village so many women could be affected by breast cancer. When my friend Tracey told me last year she too had the disease I felt helpless and wanted to raise money for Breast Cancer Campaign as a way of showing my support.

“I’m a keen runner and have completed the London Marathon three times in the past, but this is beyond anything I’ve ever attempted before! I know it’s going to be tough physically and mentally, but it’s a fantastic cause and it will be a great opportunity to meet lots of people along the route, to make them aware of what I’m doing and why I’m doing it.”

Angela Adams, Community Fundraising Manager at Breast Cancer Campaign, said: “This is an extraordinary challenge which few people would dare take on and we are so grateful that Gerard has chosen to do something like this for Breast Cancer Campaign. Funding research into breast cancer is vital in finding a cure for the disease, and it’s thanks to the dedication of people like Gerard that the charity can continue to support research projects across the UK. We wish him luck with the challenge and will be watching his progress and supporting him all the way.”

On the journey, Gerard will be running alone but will have help from members of the Round Table, a community club with groups based worldwide, who have vowed to help him wherever possible by providing free overnight accommodation, hot showers and food. He also has the support of chartered physiotherapists who have volunteered to be on call along the route.

Gerard is due to complete his run on Sunday 1 May, where family, friends and supporters will greet him at the finish line. He will be tracking his progress along the route with a GPS tracker, so supporters can follow his progress online. To find out more visit anglo-suisse.net and to donate to Gerard’s challenge visit justgiving.com/Gerard-Varin

ENDS
Gerard is available for interviews – if you would like to speak to Gerard about his challenge, please contact Marilena Patuto at Breast Cancer Campaign’s press office on 020 7649 3720 or email  

Notes to editors
• Breast Cancer Campaign aims to beat breast cancer by funding innovative world-class research to understand how breast cancer develops, leading to improved diagnosis, treatment, prevention and cure
• The Breast Cancer Campaign Tissue Bank, the UK’s first ever national breast cancer tissue bank is a unique collaboration with four leading research institutions to create a vital resource of breast cancer tissue for researchers across the UK and Ireland. Visit breastcancertissuebank.org
• The charity currently funds 80 projects worth almost £14.5 million in 35 locations across the UK and Ireland
• Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK and accounts for nearly one in three of all cancers in women
• In the UK, around 48,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year - that’s 130 a day
• Visit breastcancercampaign.org or follow us at twitter.com/bccampaign