Real Stories
12 Apr 2024Meet Marathon Man Daniel
A golfer with both personal and professional links to prostate cancer is preparing to take on an epic fundraising challenge on the course to help save men’s lives.
Spring is here and the biggest golfing fundraiser is back. The Big Golf Race has raised just under £4 million since 2020, with over 12,000 golfers taking part. This incredible amount has helped fund lifesaving research into better prostate cancer tests and treatments.
What is The Big Golf Race? It is a virtual golf challenge, which you can do with friends and family. That means you pick the golf course , when you do the challenge and how you do it.
Sound like a challenge you want to take on? Whether it's 36, 72 or even 100 holes of golf in a day, there's something for every golfer. So rally your mates for the highest number of golf rounds you’ll probably ever do and take on this epic challenge. Just like Daniel did….
Father-of-two Daniel Hughes has pledged to complete Prostate Cancer UK’s Big Golf Race this summer and help save men’s lives after several members of his family were impacted by the disease.
Daniel’s grandfather, great uncle, dad and uncle have received prostate cancer diagnoses, along with his father-in-law and two more extended relatives.
“Given the immediate family history, there’s a high chance I’m in line for prostate cancer at some point,” Daniel said. “The risk factors are something I’ve always been aware of and where possible, I’ve tried to mitigate through diet and exercise. Being 49, I’m about to enter the demographic for regular PSA testing.”
Daniel also knows the importance of knowing his risk of prostate cancer thanks to working in the pharmaceutical industry, where he’s currently responsible for leading a team that engages with the NHS to provide a re-designed service for prostate cancer patients, as well as clinician training and education.
This June, along with three colleagues, Daniel hopes to complete a whopping 5.5 rounds of golf in a day - the Ultra Marathon - and has so far raised over £1,000.
Golf is hugely important in raising awareness of prostate cancer, given the demographic of an average club
“Even those younger members need to be educated, both male and female, as early identification of prostate cancer is so vital to a successful outcome. My father and his brother being just two examples. The female members of a golf club are equally as important to raise awareness with, given that the average man over 60 would probably not go to have a prostate health check without some sort of gentle encouragement.
“Catching it early is so vital as it makes treatment options easier and less invasive and ultimately, more likely to be successful. It’s such an important cause and one we should all be championing. The ultra-marathon is certainly going to be a great day and of course, a big challenge.”