Subscribe to L2P News London, UK. 20 May 2010
Ex-England and Crystal Palace footballer Geoff Thomas, is teaming up with a fellow cancer survivor in The London-Paris 2010.
Thomas, who beat leukaemia, will ride with businessman and leukaemia survivor, Graham Hampson Silk. The men met when Thomas counselled Hampson Silk as he fought for his life. They now campaign for improved treatment for leukaemia patients.
Geoff Thomas and Graham Hampson Silk
Thomas, who beat his cancer with a stem cell transplant from his sister in 2004, said: “Graham and I were both treated by Professor Charlie Craddock in Birmingham. I was a bit further down the road when Charlie asked if I could talk Graham through my experience.
“We met in the waiting room at the hospital and Graham and I shared the toughest battle of our lives – our fight against cancer. That experience cemented our friendship and determination to campaign for better treatment for leukaemia patients.”
Hampson Silk was not suitable for transplant therapy and his life was saved by a new drug. He explained: “I was given three years to live which was absolutely devastating. My brother was not a close enough match for me to have a transplant and I thought I was going to die.”
In 1980, Hampson Silk’s father, Tom, a legendary chairman of West Bromwich Albion Football Club, and his mother, Ruth, were killed in an air crash in France returning from Hampson Silk’s 21st birthday party. He said: “I knew the heartbreak of losing my parents and when I was diagnosed with leukaemia I had three very young children. The thought of leaving them was unbearable.”
Hampson Silk was then given a chance of life: “I was told that I couldn’t have a transplant and that my only hope was a new experimental drug called Glivec. I was able to get onto a trial of that drug and it saved my life.”
His experience led him to join the Geoff Thomas Foundation as chairman: “Geoff and I have become great friends and we have shared some astonishing times. We are now determined to campaign for more drugs trials for leukaemia patients. This country spends hundreds of millions of pounds on research and if we could get the new drugs to patients quickly, more people would have the same chance of survival that I had.
“We need to raise £10 million to fund a network of blood cancer trials centres that will make a real difference to thousands of people with blood cancer.”
Thomas added: “It’ll be a tough road to Paris but Graham and I are made of strong stuff. We know that every mile ridden by Team GTF will be helping leukaemia patients who face the same hard road that we have travelled ourselves.”
Thomas and Hampson Silk will be part of a 15-strong Geoff Thomas Foundation team to ride The L2P which also includes Sky commentator and ex-Crystal Palace footballer, John Salako.
People wishing to support them can log on to www.justgiving.com/geoffthomas-grahamsilk
Other stars riding in The L2P 2010 peloton are Olympian Rebecca Romero, Tour de France winner Stephen Roche, former England rugby captain, Will Carling, All Blacks legend, Zinzan Brooke and ex-Formula-1 champion Nigel Mansell.
The London-Paris 2010, (June 24 – 26) staged by HotChillee, the global marketing and events company, is the UK’s premier cyclosportive. It is recognised as the closest the amateur rider can get to the Tour de France experience.
The ride covers 550km in three days with a rest day in Paris. The Daily Telegraph recently ranked The L2P as one of the world’s top 25 events, alongside the London and New York marathons. The event has also been named in the top ten of adventure events for women.
This year’s L2P partners are adidas, Science in Sport, Specialized, Cyclevox, Sigma Sport, Mavic, Ambrosia, Map My Tracks, DHL and Sportique.