Sunderland dad who raised over £23,000 for a children’s cancer charity looks ahead to 2022

Chris Johnson, from High Barnes, managed to raise over £23,000 for charity by running the Sunderland 10K, Durham City 10K, climbing Scafell Pike, running the Great North Run and the London Marathon – all while going through his own cancer battle.

The 42-year-old set his sights on the London Marathon after doctors told him he had a Gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST), a rare form of cancer which affects the digestive system, in December 2019.

In 2020, he found out the cancer had spread to his liver – leading to him wanting to raise as much money as possible for Children with Cancer UK as a way of keeping positive for wife Lucy and children, Luke, Molly and Nancy.

He said: “The fundraising for this year pretty much finished after I completed the London Marathon so I’ve now had a few months off from it.

"I just can’t thank everyone in Sunderland and the surrounding areas enough for all the support that they have given me.

"My scans have been stable right throughout the year and because it all went so well, it felt wrong not to continue.

"This time though, the events will be organised around my family and friends so I get to spend more time with them, for example, should I do something in Scotland or the Lake District, the kids will come along and we’ll go camping etc.”

Chris will be getting the ball rolling on his next challenge on Sunday, January 2, when he is set to take part in the Hamsterley Forest Winter Trail 10K.

He added: “I’ll be doing the Hamsterley Forest Winter Trial 10K in January, cycling the coast-to-coast from Whitehaven to Sunderland in March, taking part in a 44-mile run in August before the Great North Run and then either the Kielder or London Marathon.

"I’m not going to be worrying about the fundraising target next year, I just want to top up want I’ve already managed to raise as it was a fantastic amount.

"Nothing will be taken for granted and for now, I just hope that everyone has a fantastic Christmas.”

You can visit Chris’ new fundraising page by clicking here.

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