Survivor inspires teammates

A PERSONAL trainer who battled with throat cancer is raising money for a charity that helped him during his ideal.

Jeff Bradford (56) has organised a team to take part in the Loch Ness Beast Race in aid of the Throat Cancer Foundation - sadly the father-of-two injured his shoulder in the lead up to the event.

However nine members of his local gym Life and Sole will take part in the challenge on August 31 to raise vital funds for the charity close to Jeff’s heart.

He said: "I’m reasonably fit so I was really keen on doing the race myself but unfortunately I’ve injured myself so can’t take part.

"Everyone at the gym was really supportive of me when I was going through my treatment so they suggested I do it for the Throat Cancer Foundation."

The fitness fanatic was shocked when he was diagnosed with the deadly illness caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) in May 2016. Medics discovered a tumour in Jeff’s tonsils after he went to the doctors complaining about a sore throat.

"We’d just opened the gym and there was a loft there with fibreglass and stuff so I put my sore throat down to that," Jeff said. "The doctors told me to gargle some aspirin and that did clear it but I got another sore throat again and they thought it was tonsillitis. I had a few bouts of antibiotics before I was referred elsewhere. It turned out it was HPV which had caused the tumour."

ScrubVac Cleaning Equipment owner Jeff returned to work on the Greshop industrial estate, and at Life and Sole Fitness on the Enterprise Park, having completed chemotherapy and radiation treatment for an aggressive form of the disease. Throughout his treatment, between July1 and August 20, 2016, he was bedridden and lost a huge three stones due to his inability to eat.

Jeff is now determined to raise awareness of the aftermath of the life-changing illness by raising funds for the Throat Cancer Foundation.

"I have another checkup in September and that will be exactly three years in the clear," he said. "I’ve been left with very little saliva and my tongue is numb, like I’ve just been to the dentist. I also have a reflux disease that I need to take tablets for.

"Throat cancer is a very misunderstood illness and that more people need to know about it."

Spomnsor the team at

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/life-and-sole?utm_campaign=pfp-share&utm_content=Life-and-Sole&utm_medium=fundraisingpage&utm_source=Facebook&utm_term=WgaP2pVQv&fbclid=IwAR0SoFqyYL1YCLVJ13PfKv8CEWwizBAxW5DeB_U2M_KPFFBKd_0jkYzaltg