From Personal Grief to Community Support: A Man’s Marathon Effort for Cancer Charities
A retired financial services professional from Hythe, Hampshire, is turning profound personal loss into a powerful engine for good. Richard Martin, 69, has undertaken an extraordinary series of marathon-distance hikes across the United Kingdom, raising over £21,000 for cancer support services in memory of his beloved father and sister, both tragically lost to the illness.
Mr Martin’s journey began after the devastating deaths of his father, Alan Martin, who passed away from lung cancer at the age of 62 in 1998, and his sister, Teresa Godwin, who succumbed to a breast cancer relapse at 56 in 2008. These deeply personal tragedies fuelled a commitment to support Macmillan Cancer Support, where he now serves as a lead volunteer. His dedication extends beyond fundraising walks; he actively organises supermarket collections and provides weekly phone support as a “buddy” to individuals navigating life with cancer. Every time he crosses a finish line, he carries the memory of his father and sister with him.
“Especially when I’ve done a solo walk, that has sparked conversation,” Mr Martin shared with PA Real Life. “That’s the thing I love about Mighty Hikes – you’ll share with people why you’re doing it and that’s something really special.” He recounted a particularly moving experience on the South Coast Mighty Hike, where a conversation with a fellow walker who had also experienced cancer loss, after sharing his sister’s story, proved to be “heart-warming.”
Mr Martin’s father, Alan, had initially made a strong recovery from a heart attack in his mid-50s, embracing a healthier lifestyle. However, in his early sixties, a persistent “dry cough” prompted his wife, Dawn Martin, to urge him to seek medical attention. This led to a diagnosis of lung cancer. Alan chose to keep the news from his children initially, with the family only learning of his illness at Christmas in 1996. Mr Martin recalled his father’s initial optimism about treatment, but despite chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the cancer progressed. A poignant visit to his father a week before his death in 1998 left Mr Martin with a lingering regret: “I probably didn’t say things I wanted to say.” This sense of helplessness, he explained, was a significant factor in his decision to support Macmillan, driven by a desire to ensure others have a better experience than his family did.
Tragically, within a few years, his sister Teresa was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent a mastectomy and experienced a period of remission, but by 2008, the cancer had returned and spread aggressively. Mr Martin described a visit to his sister in hospital during her final days. Though she was unwell, he was able to spend time with her, express his love, and tell her how much he would miss her – a farewell he found more prepared for than the one he had with his father.
The Genesis of a Fundraising Phenomenon
After several years processing these profound losses, Mr Martin felt ready to channel his energy into something positive. A corporate partnership at his workplace connected him with a Macmillan fundraising manager, and his involvement began with volunteering at a Christmas present-wrapping event. This evolved into participating in charity walks with colleagues, which ultimately led to his first “challenging” 22-mile Jurassic Coast Mighty Hike alongside his friend Ewan Bell. The arduous trek, from Weymouth to Corfe Castle, tested his endurance.
He vividly remembers a calf injury sustained at mile 16 during a misty and cold day. “It was a misty day and quite cold, but the abiding memory is that, if it hadn’t been for my walking partner, Ewan, I probably wouldn’t have finished because around mile 16, I got a twinge in my right calf,” he recalled. “He very kindly carried my rucksack for most of the remaining time. Without his encouragement and a bit of paracetamol given to me at one of the checkpoints, I don’t think I would have made it to the end of my first Mighty Hike.” The feeling of crossing that finish line, he noted, was “really special,” amplified by the knowledge that he was doing it for Macmillan.
A Continued Commitment to the Trail
Since that initial triumph, Mr Martin has completed an impressive 12 more Mighty Hikes, often with Ewan by his side. These walks have taken him through a diverse range of stunning British landscapes, including:
- The South Coast: Brighton
- The Gower Peninsula: Swansea
- The Rob Roy: Callander, Scotland
- The Lake District
- The Peak District
- The Yorkshire Dales
- The Norfolk Coast
- The Thames Path: Windsor
He typically navigates the 26-mile routes in under eight hours, although one particularly demanding hike took him 13 hours to complete due to an exceptionally painful blister. His training regimen is refreshingly straightforward: “I don’t want to sound conceited but I’m a walker. I’m just constantly training because I’m just always walking.”
Mr Martin’s ambition is to reach a total of 20 Mighty Hikes, expressing a deep-seated desire to continue walking and raising vital funds for cancer charities indefinitely. To date, his remarkable efforts have amassed £21,174.72 for Macmillan. He regards his contribution with quiet pride, stating, “I don’t see it as a big deal. I want to do it and I’m pleased I’ve raised that much.”
Macmillan Cancer Support highlights the significant impact of such fundraising. For instance, £161 can provide approximately eight weeks of crucial emotional support to someone living with cancer through their buddy system, while £1,437 could fund a Macmillan nurse for an entire week.
Mr Martin hopes his personal story will resonate and inspire others. “There might be 1,000 people on a Mighty Hike and they’re all like-minded people. And that just happens so rarely – to be with that many people who have the same aims as you do,” he observed. “So if I can inspire just five more people, then it would have been worthwhile. And if it spreads the word and it helps to raise more money, then that’s going to get a huge thumbs up for me.”
For those interested in learning more about Macmillan’s Mighty Hikes and how to get involved, further information can be found on their website: https://www.macmillan.org.uk/mighty-hikes.
