A Dunstable man will trek to the highest mountain on the planet in order to “give something back” to the charity that helped his mother through her battle with cancer.
Liam McGinley, of Kingsway, also took up boxing and has shed 3st while training for his Everest Base Camp adventure in November in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.
His mother Nuala McGinley was given the all-clear from bowel cancer after a successful operation on June 14 last year.
Liam said: “It is thanks to the doctors and nurses at St Mark’s Hospital, advice from doctors at Northfields Surgery and the research and knowledge gained from cancer research and the help of Macmillan Nurses that my ‘old dear’ is all better and despite all my thoughts and worries is still with us all today.
“I really want to give something back.”
He was 18st when he began training at The Academy boxing club in Luton last year. He said: “The guys here have been a god-send. They’ve put me through the paces.
“I’d like to thank them for their support, they’re a great team of people.”
He has been jogging while wearing a specially-designed mask to simulate the effects that mountain altitude has on the body by restricting breathing.
Liam, 29, has already achieved his targets of reaching 14st and £5,000 in donations, and has now set the bar even higher.
He said: “Anything we get now is great but it would be fantastic to get to £10,000.”
Liam’s last hurrah to alcohol was at his birthday celebrations last October, and has since donated money he would have spent on nights out to his Macmillan fund.
He has also vowed to donate the price of a takeaway, cake, chocolate bar, biscuit or bacon sandwich if he is caught eating one before his climb.
He said: “One year of no treats to possibly give a mum, dad, son, daughter or family member their life back or even just make it more comfortable in their fight against cancer is well worth it – I have the rest of my life to enjoy a pint or bacon butty.”
For more information about Liam’s trek, and to follow his training progress, visit www.climbforacure.co.uk.
To sponsor him, visit www.justgiving.com/liammcginley, or text CFAC60 £(donation) to 70070.