Sussex man defies the odds to beat cancer and take on epic African run for charity

But in a few days the 47-year-old who has defied the odds, will step out into the South African bush in KwaZulu Natal province and embark on a gruelling 100 mile run over 5 days. With guides and conservationists Marcos will map out the route that will be taken by runners and walkers raising funds for the cancer family support charity WOLO (We Only Live Once).

He feels he is more than up to the challenge and said; “Imagine running with the knowledge there could be anything ahead from spiders and snakes to elephants and giraffes! We will be covering 20 miles a day in very dry heat so I’m hoping we will get the chance to meet with local people along the route and share their knowledge of survival.”

Marcos used his passion for running to take on the disease that threatened to take his life. Two years ago, he was working as a renovation builder and living with his wife Hannah and son Archie in Hailsham, East Sussex. He had just completed a marathon when he was given a devastating diagnosis – stage 4 liver cancer.

“I had 12 tumours on my liver and had 35 rounds of chemotherapy. I made some major changes to my life. I used my running to alleviate the fatigue and nausea and gradually my sickness levels decreased as my fitness improved. There were days when I didn’t want run but I pushed myself through.”

He also became a vegan, took regular cold showers and ice baths, and practiced Tai Chi. He is known for his habit of running bare chested in the coldest weather. Two years on and his mind over body strategy has been life changing.

“My three-monthly CT scans indicated that my tumours were shrinking. The last scan showed they had gone. Now I want to focus on helping and supporting other people with cancer. I want to show them that they too can change their lives.”

During his treatment Marcos and his family were supported by WOLO. The Sussex based charity supports families on their cancer journeys – from diagnosis, through treatment and beyond

Co-founder and trustee Justin Wright said: “Marcos is an inspiration. We are delighted that he is taking on our South Africa challenge to raise funds for WOLO. We are now looking for 30 intrepid explorers to run, walk or trek along African bush game trails to help us continue our vital support for local families dealing with cancer. Marcos will set the route for us and our fundraisers will follow in his footsteps in October.”

As well as raising money the WOLO 100 will focus on the conservation work being supported by Eastbourne based African trek specialists Africa Wild Trails.

Their director and venture leader Angus Wingfield is overseeing the expedition. He commented: “Not only will the team get the chance to test themselves in some challenging terrain while raising money for WOLO, they will also see our conservation work in action. We will be releasing some bull giraffes back into the wild to strengthen the gene pool and help support the future of these magnificent animals.”

Marcos will be running the WOLO 100 in October – to provide much needed encouragement and inspiration to the fundraisers. There are still places and details are available at Wolo 100 Africa Wild Trail 2022 — Wolo Foundation.

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