Over the next 9 weeks, my cousin and one of my best friends, Jamie, will be going through chemotherapy.

A few months ago he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. He had surgery to remove the testicle, but because of the type of cancer it was, it spread quickly and a tumour was later found. He’s now starting chemo to treat it.

If you know Jamie, you know how humble and selfless he is — the kind of person who would never make a fuss and is always the first to help someone else. So this feels like our turn to show up for him.

On the 19th of April I’ll be running a half marathon with him in mind every step of the way, raising funds to support him through treatment and recovery. He’s thankfully receiving some support at the moment, but cancer treatment can be unpredictable. This is simply about giving him some extra breathing room — whether that’s for additional recovery time, unexpected costs, or even something positive to look forward to once he’s through the hardest part.

If you’re able to donate, we’re so grateful. If not, even sharing this or keeping him in your thoughts would mean a lot.

Knowing Jamie as long as I have, and talking with him throughout this journey, one thing he has really stressed is how important it is for men to be more open and less embarrassed about this kind of thing. He would love to see more men getting checked regularly and not ignoring symptoms.

Catching things early truly makes all the difference. Some forms can be more aggressive than others — in his case, things changed in less than two months. The earlier it’s picked up, the better.

More than anything, we just want Jamie to feel how many people are in his corner. Thank you for your support.