{"id":40407,"date":"2020-02-14T15:35:02","date_gmt":"2020-02-14T15:35:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jomec.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/?p=40407"},"modified":"2020-02-14T15:35:02","modified_gmt":"2020-02-14T15:35:02","slug":"brutal-arctic-marathon-for-velindre-fundraisers-and-the-love-story-behind-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/2020\/02\/14\/brutal-arctic-marathon-for-velindre-fundraisers-and-the-love-story-behind-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Love story that inspired &#039;brutal&#039; Arctic marathon for Velindre"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Simon Ford, 50, has been supporting the centre since his fianc\u00e9e died in 2013<\/h3>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"620\" height=\"465\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-fiancee.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-40460\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-fiancee.png 620w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-fiancee-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-fiancee-500x375.png 500w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-fiancee-293x220.png 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"620\" height=\"465\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-fiancee.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-40460\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-fiancee.png 620w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-fiancee-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-fiancee-500x375.png 500w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-fiancee-293x220.png 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption>Simon and his fianc\u00e9e, Linda, who lost her battle to lung cancer in 2013<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>A GROUP of 15 fundraisers are putting on their snowshoes for a \u201cbrutal\u201d Arctic marathon in sub-zero temperatures this weekend. <\/p>\n\n\n<p>Simon Ford, 50, from Llandaff will battle the elements as he leads a group on a 26-mile trek through Norway, learning snow-survival tricks and building shelters to cope with the -40 Celsius conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>He will be joined on the 26-mile hike with Velindre Cancer Care Charity Director Rhian Gibson, as they raise money for the Whitchurch hospital. <\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-twitter aligncenter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">In Heathrow &#8211; adventure is about to begin &#8211; please support this amazing cause <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/tYMURtrl32\">https:\/\/t.co\/tYMURtrl32<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Rhian Gibson (@RhianGibsonGym) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RhianGibsonGym\/status\/1228237183057719298?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 14, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><figcaption>Rhian Gibson, Charity Director at Velindre Cancer Centre is also going on the hike<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>Mr Ford tries to encourage people to experience things they will never get the chance to otherwise: \u201cWhat I\u2019m trying to do is get all sorts of people to participate \u2013 from a consultant surgeon to a postman to the unemployed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Velindre has provided specialist care for cancer patients around Wales since 1956. Donations are used to fund specialist nurses, support services and therapies and ground-breaking research and clinical trials.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Simon\u2019s fianc\u00e9e Linda lost her battle\nwith lung cancer in 2013 aged 44 and he has been campaigning for Velindre ever\nsince, taking part and running fundraising events for people around Cardiff and\nbeyond. <\/p>\n\n\n<p>\u201cShe had a great love for the outdoors,\nso it just makes sense for me to fundraise in this way,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>He said everyone has been touched by cancer in some way, whether directly or through loved ones and this keeps them motivated to continue.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"960\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/jomec.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-crew-trekking-in-the-arctic.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-40465\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-crew-trekking-in-the-arctic.jpg 960w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-crew-trekking-in-the-arctic-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-crew-trekking-in-the-arctic-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-crew-trekking-in-the-arctic-770x770.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-crew-trekking-in-the-arctic-293x293.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-crew-trekking-in-the-arctic-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-crew-trekking-in-the-arctic-390x390.jpg 390w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-crew-trekking-in-the-arctic-585x585.jpg 585w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-crew-trekking-in-the-arctic-900x900.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/jomec.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-crew-trekking-in-the-arctic.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-40465\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-crew-trekking-in-the-arctic.jpg 960w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-crew-trekking-in-the-arctic-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-crew-trekking-in-the-arctic-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-crew-trekking-in-the-arctic-770x770.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-crew-trekking-in-the-arctic-293x293.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-crew-trekking-in-the-arctic-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-crew-trekking-in-the-arctic-390x390.jpg 390w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-crew-trekking-in-the-arctic-585x585.jpg 585w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-crew-trekking-in-the-arctic-900x900.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption>This isn&#8217;t the first time Simon has trekked through the sub-arctic<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>Last year a group led by Simon raised a massive \u00a325,000 for an arctic 100km trek over four days, despite not succeeding because the weather was too harsh.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>This year they hope to beat this number and have already raised around \u00a310,000 before starting the marathon. People will continue to donate while they are out there.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Mr Ford says fundraising like this\nis a \u201ccircular thing\u201d: the events he runs raise awareness and encourage people from\nthe community to join in and, at the same time, help them get fit so they are\nless likely to get cancer in the future. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/jomec.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/velindre-hospital.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-40416\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/velindre-hospital.jpg 800w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/velindre-hospital-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/velindre-hospital-770x511.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/velindre-hospital-500x332.jpg 500w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/velindre-hospital-370x247.jpg 370w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/velindre-hospital-293x194.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" src=\"https:\/\/jomec.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/velindre-hospital.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-40416\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/velindre-hospital.jpg 800w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/velindre-hospital-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/velindre-hospital-770x511.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/velindre-hospital-500x332.jpg 500w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/velindre-hospital-370x247.jpg 370w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/velindre-hospital-293x194.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption>Velindre Cancer Hospital, Whitchurch, has supported cancer patients and their families since 1956 (Copyright: Mike Lobb)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Over the past few months he has taken the group to the Brecon Beacons to train and get them used to harsh conditions and carrying their luggage, but they face much more snow and wind in Norway and Sweden this weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Five years ago, Simon was made an ambassador for Velindre and has been running events such as Sahara hikes and arctic treks ever since.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>This year he is planning up to 15 fundraising\nevents like this one, including a North to South Wales bike ride, the Thames\nRiver Boat Race in fancy-dress, and a 29,029ft long cycle challenge in Mallorca\n&#8211; the height of Everest.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis challenge is one in a long line of things we have done and will continue to do,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Simon and his team are flying today\nfrom Heathrow to Oslo, and then from Oslo to Trondheim, before making their way\nto Arctic Base Camp in the sub-arctic. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"620\" height=\"465\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/jomec.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/venture-to-victory-velindre-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-40414\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/venture-to-victory-velindre-1.png 620w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/venture-to-victory-velindre-1-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/venture-to-victory-velindre-1-500x375.png 500w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/venture-to-victory-velindre-1-293x220.png 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"620\" height=\"465\" src=\"https:\/\/jomec.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/venture-to-victory-velindre-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-40414\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/venture-to-victory-velindre-1.png 620w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/venture-to-victory-velindre-1-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/venture-to-victory-velindre-1-500x375.png 500w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/venture-to-victory-velindre-1-293x220.png 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption>Venture to Victory, managed by Velindre ambassador Simon Ford undertake challenging fundraising events (Copyright: Velindre Cancer Centre)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>People from around Cardiff and\nbeyond fundraise for the Velindre Cancer Centre in lots of ways, including clairvoyance\nevents, half-marathons, and climbing Kilimanjaro. <\/p>\n\n\n<p>Kylie Mckee, Deputy Head of Fundraising at Velindre said: \u201cWe are incredibly grateful to Simon for his continued dedication in supporting Velindres\u2019 cancer patients and their families. Simon\u2019s passion and commitment is truly remarkable.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n<p>If you would like to contribute to Simon Ford and his teams mission and support the amazing work at the Velindre Cancer Centre, click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justgiving.com\/crowdfunding\/sub-arctic-marathon?fbclid=IwAR0FQj8i4ym7IGu0p2xX4W1m0uBVbUSJjzgqgQytiB4BjdpLsCcPh09IK1A\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Simon Ford, 50, has been supporting the centre since his fianc\u00e9e died in 2013 A GROUP of 15 fundraisers are putting on their snowshoes for a \u201cbrutal\u201d Arctic marathon in sub-zero temperatures this weekend. Simon Ford, 50, from Llandaff will battle the elements as he leads a group on a 26-mile trek through Norway, learning snow-survival tricks and building shelters to cope with the -40 Celsius conditions. He will be joined on the 26-mile hike with Velindre Cancer Care Charity [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":137,"featured_media":40460,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[174,11,632,166,3,571,4,113,292,5,89],"tags":[23,629,630,414,631,236,633,377,634,28,635,636,637,638,639,640,641,642,643,644,645,646,647,240],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-40407","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-a-f","category-fairwater","category-g-q","category-llandaff-city","category-news","category-r-z","category-sport","category-uncategorised","category-uncategorized","category-where-you-live","category-whitchurch","tag-cardiff","tag-arctic","tag-brecon-beacons","tag-cancer","tag-cancer-treatment","tag-fundraising","tag-llandaf","tag-llandaff","tag-marathon","tag-nhs","tag-norway","tag-nurse","tag-nurses","tag-oslo","tag-simon-ford","tag-specialist-nurses","tag-sub-arctic","tag-sweden","tag-trondheim","tag-velindre","tag-velindre-cancer-centre","tag-velindre-hospital","tag-venture-to-victory","tag-whitchurch"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Love story that inspired &#039;brutal&#039; Arctic marathon for Velindre - The Cardiffian<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/2020\/02\/14\/brutal-arctic-marathon-for-velindre-fundraisers-and-the-love-story-behind-it\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Love story that inspired &#039;brutal&#039; Arctic marathon for Velindre - The Cardiffian\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Simon Ford, 50, has been supporting the centre since his fianc\u00e9e died in 2013 A GROUP of 15 fundraisers are putting on their snowshoes for a \u201cbrutal\u201d Arctic marathon in sub-zero temperatures this weekend. Simon Ford, 50, from Llandaff will battle the elements as he leads a group on a 26-mile trek through Norway, learning snow-survival tricks and building shelters to cope with the -40 Celsius conditions. He will be joined on the 26-mile hike with Velindre Cancer Care Charity [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/2020\/02\/14\/brutal-arctic-marathon-for-velindre-fundraisers-and-the-love-story-behind-it\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Cardiffian\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-02-14T15:35:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/02\/simon-and-his-fiancee.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"620\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"465\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Rhiannon Moore\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Rhiannon Moore\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/2020\/02\/14\/brutal-arctic-marathon-for-velindre-fundraisers-and-the-love-story-behind-it\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/2020\/02\/14\/brutal-arctic-marathon-for-velindre-fundraisers-and-the-love-story-behind-it\/\",\"name\":\"Love story that inspired &#039;brutal&#039; 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Criegiau for The Cardiffian. Got a story? 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