Running 1000 Miles for Robbo

Aim

Running 1000 miles in 2024 to fundraise for Robbo, who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, so she can make memories with her daughter

Why Am I Running 1000 Miles in 2024

In October of this year I found out that my close friend Robbo, known as Kat to most other people, was diagnosed with Stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer with 2 rare mutations. She went to the GP to talk about the migraines she'd been having and within 2hrs found out that she was terminally ill. Robbo is 33. She's driven, bullish, ambitious, bright, funny, honest, abrupt and, though she'd hate me saying this because she likes the hard woman energy she exudes, kind, caring, and amazingly generous.

Once I'd come to terms with her telling me about the diagnosis, I felt like I wanted to do something. I need a way of bottling up and channelling all of the things I feel knowing I'm going to lose my friend decades earlier than I'd hoped. So what do you do when you find your friends going to die? You run. Run from the problem. Run from the idea that one day you won't be able to see your pal anymore.

So that's what I'm doing. Running. Running miles. Miles and miles. It's going to hurt and I know I'm going to regret saying I'm going to do it. I don't know, genuinely, practically, if I can. Which is why I want to. Because if my friend can face up to a premature death then I can face up to getting out of my bed in whatever weather, lacing up my trainers, and running.

Making Memories

Robbo has a beautiful 10 - soon to be 11 - year old daughter called Paige. When Paige found out the news, she took it, and is taking it amazingly well. Paige is brave in a way that I hate that she has to be, but is. She is worried, however, that she isn't going to able to make new memories with her Mum with whatever time they have left.

Which is where you come in. I'm fundraising to raise as much money as possible for Paige and Robbo to make as many memories as they can. Big memories, small memories. Memories that will last.

We don't know how long Robbo has, she's been given a timeline which is "more than a year, and less than 5". The first scan in September showed 7 tumours in her brain and second scan, 3 weeks later, showed a 33% increase in size and 10 tumours. This is a “Kat” type of cancer, aggressive, fast, not doing anything by half. Because she has such a specific type of cancer, she's currently on a tablet to treat it, but when we say treat it, we mean slow down the spread, not make it go away. And the effect wears off. So really, we're playing for time.

The 'Bucket List' 

Let's work together to make sure that we fill that time with as many memory making opportunities as we can.

Here's 'the bucket list' of the things that Paige and Robbo would like to do:

Small targets 

• Cooking lesson/experience 
• Stay in a Shepherds hut off grid
• A kid friendly Spa retreat (Voucher Now Bought)
• R8 driving (passenger) experience 
• Glamping in the tipi with hot tub
• Go to Fashion show
• Go to Winter wonderland
• Indoor skydive (Voucher Now Bought)
• Go Karting
• Be driven in a limo 
• Scavenger hunt 
• Go to a Planetarium (Vouchers Now Bought)
• Long weekend in Rome

On one of the trips, they'd like Paige to bring a friend along as well. 

Big target - Trip to Florida

• Go to Disney world, Orlando
• Shopping spree
• Visit Miami Beach 
• Yacht Trip
• Swim in a cave 
• Walk a rope bridge 
• Safari experience at Animal Kingdom
• Hot air balloon ride

Its important to note that we haven't checked whether companies will let Robbo do some of these things and whether it is medically advised. Should we find out a company won't let her or it isn't safe, we'll of course not be doing that and will inform you. 

How Money Will Be Spent

Every donation will be split 50/50 between a small target and the big target, unless you'd specifically like to donate towards a small target or the big target. We'll be keeping track of how you've donated and will update regularly on how we're doing towards certain goals. With each activity, we'll detail how much everything will cost and how the money will be spent so if you'd like to know where your money is going, we'll update you here on this page, or on my social media (details below).

It is also important to note that we'll be fundraising towards someone going with Robbo as a primary carer on the activity. Most of the time, this will be her sister Iris but it may also be me, depending on availability. Where possible, I'll go with Robbo because, selfishly, I also want to make memories with her, but we'll always be clear about whether I'm paying for myself to go or whether I'm going as Robbo's primary carer. 

How Can You Be Involved

You can choose to donate, you can choose to share this on your social media, by email, or word of mouth. Or, you too, can run. Get in touch with me via email or social media and we'll organise you joining me for one of my training runs. Before her diagnosis, Robbo led a very active lifestyle, going to the gym 5 times a week at 4:30am was her norm, so promoting a healthy lifestyle is something we are all passionate about.

How am I going to meet this target?

My aim is to run 3 or 4 marathon events in 2024 evenly spaced out across the year. That way, I'll need to stay in training and the training will need to include a certain amount of mileage. 1000 Miles split across 52 weeks is 19.2 miles a week, or 2.7 miles a day. I have already entered the Southampton Marathon in April which will keep me busy for the first quarter of the year, I'll be looking at entering another Marathon in July and a final event in October. Hopefully finishing up in December 24.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and please donate if you can, and if you can't but would still like to contribute, please share this.

For regular updates follow us on Instagram at @Dousty95 @Katerina_Robinson_ @irzre_

Cancer terminology: 

NSCLC Stage 4 ALK EML4 gene fusion. Concurrent TP53 mutation. 

10 brain tumours. Bone tumour. Several lung tumours and lymph node tumours.

This project successfully funded on 17th February 2024