July 2009  Most teenagers spend their 16th birthday out and about with friends, maybe bowling or watching a movie at the cinema. But for David Passfield, it was a whole different story, as he suffered a stroke, which led to the discovery that he had cancer.
David, from Netherfield, noticed he was not quite feeling himself back in January 2007, he said, “I just felt a bit odd and my friends noticed that I was losing a lot of weight - something I couldn’t really explain. The doctors thought I might be anaemic and I was referred to the hospital for checks.” Before this could happen, on the day of his 16th birthday, he suffered a stroke and then spent the next month in hospital at the QMC having tests to try to work out why this had happened. He was discharged from hospital on 24th July 2007, just in time for his sister’s birthday. The results came back and the following day David was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. David continued, “Everything happened so quickly. I had my Hickman line, used to deliver the chemotherapy, fitted the next day and started my treatment straight away. I have been having blocks of treatment ever since. The first few blocks of intensive chemo made me diabetic so I had to have insulin injections. In a weird way this helped me get used to needles.” Talking about what it was like to have to go through this as a teenager, David added, “I was studying for my GCSEs, at Carlton le Willows school, before I had my stroke and it was quite hard to revise while I wasn’t feeling myself. I’m really proud that I managed to sit nearly all my exams, even though I had been in hospital for a month. The only one I missed was maths! I managed to pass 10 GCSEs which was a real bonus for me. I’m looking forward to starting High Pavement College this September and getting back some sense of normality in my life. While David was in hospital, he was helped by Rachael Ewing, a CLIC Sargent Youth Development Worker based at the QMC. Rachael helps to support young people throughout their cancer journey, from diagnosis to after treatment has finished. She enables them to keep a sense or normality in their lives and promotes activities for patients both inside and outside the ward. One of the places she spends time with the young patients is in the Youth Room (where the photo is taking place). The room, managed by the Nottingham University Hospital Youth Services, is a space out of the hospital environment where young people can hang out, play on computer games and just do everyday ordinary things. David said, “Rachael has helped me a lot. I go along to the youth group meetings once a month at the hospital where I hang out with other people my age who are going through cancer treatment. It’s great to just chill out and chat. Rachael also organises days out for us like going bowling which is really fun.” Rachael has signed up to take part in the Experian Robin Hood half Marathon, which is taking place this September. Rachael will be raising money for CLIC Sargent, one of the event’s official charities, to help support the work they do in caring for children and young people with cancer. Rachael said, “I wanted to take part in the half marathon after finding out CLIC Sargent is one of the official charities and wanting to do something beyond my job description. It is such a big event, and as I know firsthand, it is such a worthwhile charity – that is my motivation. I am having trouble with my knees but am determined to do it. The young people I work with go through such tough times and challenges and that is what I think about when I am running and it gets hard. Their strength and courage inspires me to carry on.” She continued, “David is such a wonderful young man and it has been a pleasure supporting him. There have been tough times when he has been unwell and low but he has come through them and has become a mentor for other young people that have been diagnosed.” As one of the official charities of the event, together with The Fire Fighters Charity, Headway – the brain injury association and the Alzheimers Society, CLIC Sargent is in charge of sourcing marshals (volunteers) to cover the course and event village on the embankment. David and his family are going to come down to the festival of running on race day, he said, “I would love to be able to run the race one day but in the meantime I will be there to support Rachael and others running for CLIC Sargent. My Mum and Dad are both hoping to marshal for the charity as well. It’s good to be able to give something back and raise money to help other families affected by childhood cancer, like mine.” Dee Richardson, Events Fundraising Manager at CLIC Sargent said: “We are thrilled that Rachael is running and that David’s parents are hoping to marshal. “The £30,000 that we raised from last year’s event has helped us to support 163 patients and their families in Nottinghamshire in 2008, over 80 of which were new to the charity. It has also enabled CLIC Sargent to issue over £17,000 in grants to children and young people in the county. “We would like to do the same and more in the year to come and are urging people to run for us and the official charities like Rachael is. Please see the website www.clicsargent.org.uk or call me on 0113 2307902 for details of how to get involved.” David is on maintenance treatment now, which has reduced the intensity of his chemotherapy, but it won’t stop until October 2010.
31st July 2009 The world’s toughest one-day endurance event is coming to Nottingham in August next year. A long distance triathlon consisting of a 2.4mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and 26.2mile marathon run are to be completed consecutively and all within one action-packed day of racing. One thousand places are available and expected to sell out, and the event is to take place in Nottingham on the 8th August 2010. Organisers are working in conjunction with Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County Councils, as well as some of the major sporting venues within the city to deliver a breath-taking long distance triathlon. It will start from the National Water Sports Centre and finish at the iconic Victoria Embankment. Mark Arthur CEO of Nottingham Forest Football Club commented:
“Having an event such as this come to Nottingham is great news. As a keen cyclist, I think we can use events such as these to engage a wide audience and inspire them to get active. Having the route pass under the city ground is brilliant and we fully support the event."
The swim and bike transitions will take place at Holme Pierrepont, where thousands of triathletes already enjoy racing the National Relay Championships every year. The bike course will be fast but challenging, taking in the best that Nottinghamshire has to offer. The course, which will be partly on closed roads, will enable the competitors to concentrate on racing, as well as taking in the beautiful Nottinghamshire countryside. The run will loop between Holme Pierrepont and the Victoria Embankment, making it perfect for spectators and competitors alike. The route will run alongside the River Trent and past Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, Forest’s City Ground and Sven-Goran Eriksson’s new home, Meadow Lane! Organiser Iain Hamilton is a former Nottinghamshire county swimmer and Great Britain triathlete, who set up One Step Beyond Promotions as part of a college project in 1991. He said: “We are really excited to finally announce this to the public, we have been working for nine months with various authorities to get us to this stage and still have many months of very hard work until we stage what will be the best full distance triathlon in the UK.” “We put a big wish list together to create this event, such as central location, challenging but fast bike course with road closures, entertaining run course and the ability to attract a high number of spectators. When we finished our list, there was no where else in the world we wanted to stage this event but Nottingham.” Further information is available at www.onestepbeyond.org.uk, so whether you fancy racing, watching or just want to know more, register your email today!
29th July 2009 Touch & Go, a team made up of employees from the East Midlands Development Agency (EMDA), have won their first title in the Perfect Motion Touchrugby League, beating Perfect Motion 10-4 on aggregate in an exciting finale to the Touch season. The team received the trophy for the Tuesday Mixed Social League at a special presentation following the last set of fixtures held at Nottingham Rugby club last Tuesday (21 July). Winning was made all the sweeter, coming as it did 24 hours after the team could only manage a third place finish overall in the Monday Mixed Social League. Team Captain Brendan Byczkowski said: “We’ve been playing in the league since it first started and the first year we were pretty rubbish. None of us were really into rugby - we got involved through a work social group – but we found we enjoyed it. “We came second the last few years, so it was really nice to finally win!” Perfect Motion touch rugby leagues have been catering for players of all skill-levels in Nottingham since the summer of 2003 and it has grown from a handful of teams playing once a week, into a 48 team explosion of the sport, making the Nottingham league the biggest outside of London. League Organiser Nik Emmonds of Perfect Motion Events said: “I am very pleased with the development of the league and the sport in Nottingham this year. For us to have sold out two nights and to include the first ever women’s only league just shows how the sport continues to go from strength to strength. “People are obviously enjoying it as well as feeling the physical benefit that the sport provides and long may it continue with an even bigger league this autumn.” Toot Hill were crowned champions of the first ever women’s only Touch League, finishing 5 points ahead of their nearest rivals, Players Ladies Touch. In the Men’s Social final, Hamians Social edged past Nottingham Coaches to crown a perfect regular season, where they didn’t lose a single match. Other winners included The Bees, who got their revenge on Marvellous Mallarkeys for defeat in the Open Mixed League by claiming the Men’s Open League by a solitary point. With the season over with, the teams are taking a break until September, when fixtures for the autumn season will begin and new players will be welcome to come along and give the sport a try. Teams are asked to check the Perfect Motion Touch website, www.perfectmotiontouch.com, regularly for news of fixtures.
24th July 2009 By day the ‘Tricky Trio’are regular women of the working world, but in their spare time Hertfordshire ladies, Lindsey, Sheryl and Julie, prefer to live a little more dangerously!
The three friends, who met a few years ago at a local yoga class never shy away from a challenge. Lindsey Stewart, an Operating Department Practioner, at QE11 Theatres in Welwyn Garden City, celebrated her 40th birthday a few years ago by running the London Marathon. HR Manager Sheryl Sur, from Broxbourne, did a parachute jump despite being petrified of heights and Julie Elliott-Brown, an Area Sales Manager for Barclays Bank, from Cheshunt, overcame her fear of water by doing a scuba dive.
So as you can see, the Tricky Trio like to push themselves to the limit and this year is no exception as they have signed up for the 24seven Challenge this October; a 24 hour adventure event organised by children’s cancer charity, CLIC Sargent.
Taking place on the banks of Lake Windermere in the Lake District, the 24seven Challenge comprises seven different physical and mental challenges completed during the event. The team will cover a marathon distance (26.2 miles) by foot, bike and canoe, as well as encountering many surprising mental tasks along the way. But this is all they know about the event so far as 24seven is shrouded in a veil of mystery up until just before the entrants set off.
Last year’s event, which took place in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, began with a mini duathlon, followed by kayaking down the River Wye. Participants then faced a 530 piece jigsaw, a 10 mile orienteering course through caves and across water, mountain bike trails with memory tests and an ominous task aptly named ‘Water Torture’, amongst other tasks!
Last year’s 24seven event raised over £40,000 for CLIC Sargent and the Tricky Trio are keen to help add to that total this year. As money is donated, teams are rewarded with clues and items of equipment which will help them on event day. Everyone can keep track of how well they are doing and sponsor the Tricky Trio on their interactive webpage at www.24sevenchallenge.co.uk/julieelliott-brownbarclayscom/
Lindsey said, “We are always setting ourselves the next target, our next big challenge. It is always something a bit silly or exciting and we like to make sure it will test our fear! Julie heard about the 24seven Challenge and asked us if we wanted to give it a go. It appealed to us because it’s not all about physical fitness as there are plenty of mental challenges as well. Plus we had all heard of the charity CLIC Sargent and like to know our efforts are going towards helping a good cause.”
She continued, “It hasn’t always been plain sailing for us though and we have been plagued with injury – myself in my back, Julie with her foot and Sheryl in her shoulder. Fingers crossed we will make it through the 24seven Challenge though. We have started training and are out on our bikes regularly and going for small runs together.
“It is quite exciting as we don’t know exactly what to expect from the event! I guess they can’t make us do anything that bad... but we are all scared to death of heights so any part that involves that, we will have to be dragged round!
“We are really looking forward to taking part; it should be lots of fun. Julie is determined we are going to win, she is very focused and will be the big voice in the team, driving us on!”
The 24seven concept is representative of the all round care and support that CLIC Sargent provides for families affected by childhood cancer.
Beverley Mackenzie, Challenge Events Manager for CLIC Sargent said: “We are really excited about this year’s event! We’ve changed the challenges and the location and we hope to have lots more people from different walks of life taking part. It’s great to see teams like Tricky Trio entering and there is still room for more teams to enter, or you can take part as an individual.
“Even though we can’t guarantee the girls they will win, we can assure them they will have a great time! The most important challenge is to raise as much money as possible to help families whose lives have been turned upside down by childhood cancer. Every penny raised really can make a big difference.
The venue is ready, the date is set and the goal is clear – raising money for children and young people with cancer, and their families. Entries are now open, so make sure you secure your place by visiting www.24sevenchallenge.co.uk today or call 0845 602 7315. Our Clients, 17th July 2009 As a partner of the Bath Half Marathon the Chronicle has been given the opportunity to offer its readers the chance to enter the 2010 event two weeks before general entries go on sale.
An entry form is printed in today’s paper, which can be filled in and sent off, guaranteeing you a place in the popular race, which never fails to sell all of its 15,000 entries months before race day.
Those who took part in this year’s event, back in March, will also be invited to enter for the 2010 event online.
The Bath Half, now approaching its 29th year, is the third largest half marathon in the country and was voted one of the top three best events in the Daily Telegraph’s ‘Best Runs’. Its fast, flat, scenic course makes it hugely popular with the running community, and Bath as a popular city to visit, brings in entrants from across the UK and abroad.
Next year’s event is set to take place a week earlier on 7th March, which is ideal for those who will be preparing for the Virgin London Marathon, eight weeks later. The 2010 event will also encompass a Team Challenge event, which attracted over 125 teams last year, and a Family Fun Run that is growing in numbers each year. The event is one of the largest charity fundraisers in the South West, raising an predicted total of around £1.3million pounds this year for over 36 different local and national charities.
Race Director Andrew Taylor, from Running High, said, “We are delighted to be able to offer Bath Chronicle readers the chance to enter the 2010 Bath Half Marathon early. We work in partnership with the paper each year to promote the event and receive a wealth of support from the local community that enables us to stage the city’s largest sporting event. We wanted to give local people the opportunity to get their entry in first, making sure they don’t miss out on a place.”
Our Clients, 14th July 2009 Nottingham Forest Ladies yesterday won the senior section of the Victoria Trophy, the largest five-a-side tournament in the UK for women and girls, for the first time since 2001. The event, taking place at the Victoria Embankment, attracted over 130 teams from all over the country and the high standards were there for all to see. Matt Sismey, of event sponsors Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “The turn-out has been incredible and it’s great to see so many women and girls getting out and playing football. “We’ve been really pleased with the impact Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service has made on this event and hope that our presence has highlighted to the girls and women involved today that they can be fire-fighters. It would be fantastic if one of the footballers here today is a Chief Fire Officer of the future!" 2009 is the first year the Fire Service have sponsored the event and they held various demonstrations during the day – including cutting someone free from a “car crash” - to show that women fire-fighters are needed just as much as men. Ian Holloway, Sports Events Officer with event organisers Nottingham City Council, was equally impressed with the standard of play: “Right the way through from the U10’s to the Open Age group, the football on show has been of a consistently high quality. “As well as that, there has been great competition and several of the finals have gone right down to the wire to determine a winner.” All in all, over 1,200 players took part in 800 matches from 9 a.m. through the day to 6 p.m., with home team Forest Ladies dramatically winning 1-0 in the dying seconds of extra time in the final of the senior section against North ‘N’ South United. Other winners on the day included Malet YC, who were crowned champions of the U13’s, U14’s and U15’s competition, and Leicester City Ladies Foxes who triumphed at U12’s. The full list of finalists is as follows: U10’s: Peterborough United Girls 0 – 0 Woodlands F.C. (Peterborough won on penalties) U11’s: Linby Ladies 2 – 0 Southwell United U12’s: Leicester City Ladies Foxes 1 – 0 Toton Girls U13’s: Sharley Park 0 – 1 Malet YC U14’s: Malet YC 1 – 0 Mowbray Rangers U15’s: Arnold Town 0 – 1 Malet YC U16’s: Oadby & Wigston 0 – 1 Portishead Open Age: Nottingham Forest Ladies 1 – 0 (AET) North ‘N’ South UnitedOur Clients, 13th July 2009 Perfect Motion is delivering a PR campaign designed to encourage people get fit with Les Mills, the visionary New Zealand fitness programme that provides exercise classes to over 1,700 gyms and health clubs around Britain. The agency was appointed by FitPro, the largest association for Fitness Professionals in the world and agent for Les Mills in the UK Stephen Buckley, Communications Manager from FitPro said, “In the current economic climate, with many people tightening their financial belts, we recognise that gym memberships can be perceived as a luxury. The PR campaign is designed to reinforce the physical and mental benefits of gym membership and that taking part in professionally designed group exercise classes is safe, inspiring and effective.” Helen Gorman, a director at Perfect Motion added, “Our campaign will encourage people to try a Les Mills programme and further demonstrate to leisure groups and providers that FitPro is supporting them in their drive for members. Our PR activity, which spans national, lifestyle, health and fitness and sports specialist media, will communicate to new and existing programme users that Les Mills classes are a fantastic way to achieve their fitness and health goals.” Les Mills classes operate in 80 countries around the world. There are eight different classes in the programme, all based on different and combined exercise disciplines, including favourites such as BodyPump (using weights), BodyCombat (martial arts), BodyBalance (yoga, tai chi, pilates) and BodyJam (dance), amongst others. Les Mills International was founded in the 1980s by Philip Mills, son of Les Mills, an ex-Olympic shot putter and discus thrower that set up a series of revolutionary gyms in New Zealand. Philip, also an international athlete, had a vision to change the way the world thinks about fitness and alter the attitudes of instructors and participants to group exercise classes. His aim was to increase participation and levels of fitness around the world and fight ‘globesity’, which has never been a more relevant and pressing issue in society. For more information on Les Mills classes or Fit Pro please visit www.fitpro.com. Perfect Motion News, 3rd July 2009 Ladies teams from Derby County, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City will be looking to show their male counterparts how to do it next month when they face each other at the 27th Victoria Trophy women’s football competition. This much-anticipated showdown, sponsored by the Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service, will be taking place on Sunday 12 July at the Victoria Embankment in Nottingham. Over 120 teams will be taking part in the Victoria trophy, which is the largest women’s and girls five-a-side tournament in the UK. Given that they will be visitors on Forest Ladies home-soil, Derby and Leicester will be even more motivated to come away with the prestigious trophy, although Rotheram Ladies, Senior Champions in 2008, will not want to give up their crown without a fight. Event Organiser Stuart Tomlinson remarked: “It’s really marvellous that three of the most prestigious teams in the East Midlands have entered and everyone involved is eagerly awaiting to see who comes out on top. “It only adds to what is already a fiercely competitive event and it’s probably a good thing that Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service are on board as the main sponsor, as there is definitely going to be fireworks”. Anyone can enter the tournament and the closing date has been extended so that entries will now be accepted up until and including this Friday, 3 July. Anyone looking to find out more information, or register their team’s interest can visit www.victoriatrophy.com, or call 0115 925 8777. Perfect Motion News, 3rd July 2009  Leicester Tigers retained their title as Cup Champions of the Perfect Motion Leicester Touch League with a stunning comeback victory over Leicester Forest 1 in a dramatic final in the summer dusk last Thursday (25th June).
Leicester Forest 1, who finished top of the table following the regular season, were pipped in the final in a repeat of the 2008 competition, despite fielding England and Tigers fly half Sam Vesty, who had just returned from representing England Saxons. Leicester Forest 1 were 4 - 1 up approaching half time, but ended the half level. Valiant efforts to grab the victory by both sides in the second half saw the Tigers do just enough to keep their noses in front and grab the victory 7 - 6. In the Shield competition, Fat Dads beat last year's champions, Melton Lads 4 - 3 following an extra time drop off after the teams remained level at full time. An excellent passing move saw the Fat Dads cross the line in the corner just ahead of the desperate Melton defence. League Manager, Nik Emmonds of Perfect Motion Events, said: "It has been an outstanding league yet again. They certainly make them of different stuff here in Leicester. The games are exceptionally fast and some of the handling is out of this world - a great advert for the game of Touch.  "The Tigers did really well to beat Leicester Forest who everyone thought would be certainties for the title this year, especially when you consider they were fielding an England International in Sam Vesty.
"As for Fat Dads, it's always pleasing to see a new team do well. They hadn't played this version of Touch before, so to see them develop over 8 weeks to beat seasoned campaigners in Melton, was great to see. I'm looking forward to next year already!" For the final standings and results or for any other information about Touchrugby in the East Midlands visit www.perfectmotiontouch.com Touchrugby, 3rd July 2009 | 
