Terminally ill Scarborough man raises over £3,700 in 30-day challenge for Roy Castle Foundation

Sean was diagnosed with lung cancer in February, news which has stunned those who know him.

It was back in November when Sean started to feel unwell. It was during a 10-mile run when he began to feel short of breath. Finishing the race 24 seconds slower than expected, Sean suspected something wasn’t right.

But it was six weeks later that the alarms really started to chime.

“I was out walking, and I couldn’t catch my breath,” said Sean. “The doctors suspected it was asthma or a possible DVT, so they sent me to A&E for a chest x-ray and then a subsequent CT scan.”

But before Sean even received the results, he was back in hospital.

“As a runner, I’m in tune with my body so I knew something was very wrong,” Sean continues. “But as a runner and competing at such a high level, I never expected that something could be lung cancer.”

The results confirmed Sean had cancer in three places, including lesions on his liver. A few days later, he received a call from a nurse who bluntly told him that his cancer was terminal, and he’d have an appointment in 10 days to discuss his options. End of call.

“I was shellshocked, perhaps more so at the way the news was delivered than the actual diagnosis. Although having lung cancer, when you’re as fit as I am, is very hard to comprehend and just shows that this disease, like any other kind of cancer, can happen to anyone.”

Sean is now receiving palliative chemotherapy but, prior to his treatment, he was determined to complete one final run. Joined by 160 extra runners, Sean lined up for his last Parkrun on 22nd February 2025.

“It was important to me that I retired from running rather than it retiring me,” Sean explained, “so I donned my England vest and laced up my running shoes for one last time.

“I crossed the finish line. My wife was waiting for me and, whilst I knew I’d never do it again, it wasn’t maudlin, it was a celebration.”

Since then, Sean has found a new focus by taking on Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation’s Walk a Mile a Day challenge, completing the 30-day event in just two weeks and raising over £3,700.

“The last few months have been really tough, but taking on this challenge and raising money for Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation has given me a focus the way running used to. It’s a long way from the marathons I used to do, but it’s been really positive.

“The challenge has helped me recapture who I am. After the diagnosis, I retreated. I felt like I lost who I was.

“It’s taken time, but I’ve realised I can’t be that same person I was before I was diagnosed. I can, however, be a version that’s still true to me. That’s what living with lung cancer looks like.”

Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK, with around 49,000 people diagnosed each year.

Symptoms include a persistent cough, shortness of breath, frequent chest infections, coughing up blood, fatigue, weight loss, shoulder pain or back pain. Anyone experiencing any of these symptoms is urged to contact their GP practice – regardless of fitness or smoking history.

For more information, visit roycastle.org.