Malcolm, a retired firefighter from Sutton, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2019 and treated at The Royal Marsden through a clinical trial. His diagnosis came 38 years after he took part in his first fundraiser for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity with his colleagues from The London Fire Brigade. Since his radiotherapy, Malcolm is now in remission, doing very well and took part in The Banham Marsden March in 2022 with his wife Maria and dog Patch to give something back to the hospital that treated him.
I wanted to give something back to this amazing hospital after the care I was given. I signed up for the 15-mile walk, which was a big undertaking for me both physically and mentally – after my diagnosis, I did not know what to expect for the future.
Malcolm took part in The Banham Marsden March in 2022 for the first time to mark 40 years since his fundraising began for The Royal Marsden and to say thank you for the care and treatment he received after becoming a prostate patient there himself. He shared his story at the start line to officially set off one of the waves of walker and was even joined by his dog Patch on the podium!
Malcolm’s highlights of the day
“My two highlights from the event have to be the start and the finish line. I felt so proud and honoured to have the opportunity to be part of the official start, talking on the podium to everyone about my story, how much The Royal Marsden has helped me and how lucky I am. I’ll never forget the moment that I picked up my dog Patch whilst on the podium and everyone was chanting his name! This felt very surreal – Patch was famous for the day! There was an amazing atmosphere at the start line.
“Finishing the walk and crossing the finish line was my second highlight of the day. I’d never walked 15 miles like that before in one go so it felt like a huge achievement. People were cheering us on as we crossed the finish line, pushing Patch in his buggy - the support was amazing. It was a real feeling of elation at the finish line. “
Taking part once again
“I’m definitely keen to take part in The Banham Marsden March again!"
“I spoke to lots of people whilst on the route and we shared stories about why we were taking part to support The Royal Marsden. When we were nearing the end of the walk with about two miles left to go, I met a lady who was feeling tired in the heat and struggling. I gave her some encouragement and made sure she was okay. I didn’t think we’d see her again, but she ended up overtaking me and I saw her cross the finish line in front of me!
“We had so many people sponsor us to take part in The Banham Marsden March and this definitely kept us motivated during the walk and gave us the boost we needed in the heat to cross the finish line! We raised about £900 in the end in 2022, and people were still donating to my page weeks after the event had finished.
“When I crossed the finish line the feeling of elation was massive, and the crowd and staff from The Royal Marsden were cheering us on. The fact that many friends and colleagues had sponsored me and this went to The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity to help people like me and future patients made it all worthwhile.”
Any advice for anyone walking for the first time?
“After doing The Banham Marsden March for the first time, my advice for anyone signing up is to complete the route at your own pace. It’s not a sprint, there is no rush! Enjoy the day, talk to other people who are taking part and help anyone who might need some encouragement towards the end if they’re struggling.