Jarrod Ashton, Christie fundraiser

Jarrod is taking on The Christie Challenge in 2022 to complete 6 fundraising activities in 12 months. He has been supporting The Christie for 8 years in memory of his brother Rick, who was treated at The Christie for 20 years.

For his Christie Challenge, Jarrod is raising money by tackling a number of cycling events. His first cycling event for The Christie Challenge was in March 2022, with a gruelling 50km ride though the desert at Al Qudra in Dubai.

For his Al Qudra desert ride, Jarrod was joined by his wife Sue. Jarrod said he wanted to pay tribute to her extraordinary achievement, as it was a real support while he was taking on the desert ride.

Jarrod said that nothing could have prepared him for the overwhelming heat of his desert challenge, but he said it was a real experience – he will never forget the silence, the severity, the awe of the open space and the beauty of the surroundings.

Jarrod also wanted to pay tribute to the staff at the Al Qudra Trel Cycle Hire Shop. After finding themselves marooned unable to get a taxi after 50 minutes out in the desert, the staff at the cycle shop organised a lift back to the hotel for Jarrod and Sue.

Next up, Jarrod is taking on The Christie’s Manchester to Blackpool bike ride on Sunday 10 July. He's also planning to take part in The Christie's Manchester 100 bike ride on Sunday 11 September.

Jarrod’s hoping that his fundraising total in Rick’s memory will reach £30,000 this year. We’d like to say a big thanks to Jarrod for his tireless fundraising efforts. Fundraising like this means we can keep supporting cancer patients and their families, over and above what the NHS funds.

“In the final days of his life, Rick asked me to take part in a charity bike ride for The Christie who had treated him for 20 years because he wanted to give something back. We never discussed how much he wanted to raise.
“I kept my promise and have been fundraising ever since and to date, we sit at more than £28,250 raised.
“I am incredibly proud of how much has been raised in memory of Rick, he just wanted to give something back for the incredible care he received there, so it is an honour to be able to continue to keep raising these vital funds in his memory.
“Over the last 8 years, I’ve taken on many cycling fundraising challenges. However, when the opportunity arose to cycle 50km through the desert at Al Qudra in Dubai, it just had to be done.
“The phrase biting off more than you can chew springs to mind in hindsight: no support, no toilets, no water, just what you can carry – you and the elements in heat of 42 degrees.”

The Christie Challenge is to complete 6 different fundraising activities over the year. Whether you want to do a sponsored run, organise a bake sale or host an online quiz night, you can get involved.

If you want to help The Christie charity keep moving through 2022, sign up for The Christie Challenge.