Member Article

Local Radiographer To Conquer Ironman Challenge

An MRI Senior Radiographer from Nuffield Health Chester Hospital, The Grosvenor, is preparing to take on a full year of grueling physical challenges to raise vital funds for The Brain Tumor Charity.

Claire Brown, will be conquering numerous endurance challenges throughout 2017, including a 70-mile bike ride around North Wales in April and the Staffordshire 70.3 Ironman in June, in memory of a close friend who passed away in October 2015.

Claire’s friend Simon Dowle passed away from grade 4 Glioblastoma, the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40 in the UK. Additionally, her father recently suffered from a bleed on his brain, spurring her on even further to complete a series of endurance challenges for The Brain Tumor Charity.

Claire who works at Nuffield Health, situated on Wrexham Road in Chester, will be sponsoring her race season and providing her with a branded triathlon suit.

Jenny Gray, Sales and Services Manager at Nuffield Health Chester, said: “We are extremely proud of Claire and will be supporting her throughout all of her challenges in 2017.

“The Brain Tumor Charity is a remarkable organisation which offers support and information to families, and raises awareness and funds research into brain tumours. All of the money raised will go towards helping the charity continue its wonderful work”

Claire Brown said: “I love a challenge and I’m a very determined person. People are often judged by appearances, especially with this type of endurance event. I am not the stereotypical tall and skinny athlete that would usually take part in a triathlon and for that reason I am often underestimated.

“I have set myself an immense challenge, but I am spurred on by the fact that I will be raising money for the charity that gave my friend and his family such incredible support and advice before he passed away.

“Simon was such a generous, loving and funny person, and an amazing husband to his wife Lindsey and dad to his two beautiful children, to complete these challenges in his memory is a real honour.”

Claire continued: “I have also experienced first hand the devastating effects that issues connected to the brain can have. When my dad suffered a bleed on the brain he didn’t recognise my family and I. He forgot simple information and didn’t know where he was or what day it was – it was heartbreaking.

“I know the money I raise will help The Brain Tumour Charity to continue its vital research and support families like Simon’s and mine.”

Lindsay Dowle, Simon’s wife, added: “We are overwhelmed by the challenges that Claire has set in Simon’s memory. We are extremely grateful that she is supporting The Brain Tumour Charity and will be cheering her on every step of the way.”

Geraldine Pipping, the charity’s director of fundraising said: “We are so grateful to Claire for raising awareness and funds and we wish her the best of luck for her challenges.

“We receive no government funding and rely 100% on voluntary donations, so it’s only through the efforts of Claire and others like her that we can work towards our twin goals of doubling survival and halving the harm caused by brain tumours.

“Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and people under 40 in the UK and survival rates have not improved significantly over the last 40 years. We need to change that.”

Claire’s Race Calendar (so far!)

March – Oulton Park Standard Duathlon

April – Gran Fondo Conwy 70 mile bike ride

April – Liverpool Half Marathon

May – Southport Sprint Triathlon

June – Chester Deva Standard Triathlon

June – Ironman Staffordshire 70.3

July – Deva Divas Womens only Sprint Triathlon

July – The BIG Welsh swim – 3km open water swim, Llanberis

To follow Claire’s journey, follow Nuffield Health Chester’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NuffieldHealthChesterTheGrosvenorHospital/ and to donate visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/claire-brownIM

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Helen Lightfoot .