This weekend, Londoners will witness one of the ballsiest runners in the marathon’s history – as Toby Freeman, founder of The Robin Cancer Trust, hits the streets of the capital dressed head-to-toe as a giant ballbag.
Toby is taking on the London Marathon this Sunday (27th April), as part of his Big Ballsy Challenge – a campaign to run 500km across the UK to raise vital funds and spark life-saving conversations around testicular cancer, the most common cancer in young men.
The challenge, announced earlier this year by The Robin Cancer Trust, will see Toby tackle some of the UK’s most gruelling endurance events, including the Brighton and London Marathons, a 100km ultramarathon, and a full-length run of Hadrian’s Wall in Northern England. Toby’s mission? To get the nation #TalkingBollocks, breaking taboos, and saving lives.
For Toby, this challenge is deeply personal, as in 2011, he lost his older brother, Robin, to testicular cancer at just 24 years old. In the wake of that unimaginable loss, Toby and his family founded The Robin Cancer Trust to fight for early detection, better awareness and open conversations.
Toby Freeman, Founder and CEO of The Robin Cancer Trust, said: “After losing Rob, we made it our mission to make sure no other family had to go through what we did, and this challenge specifically is about saving lives by getting people laughing, talking, and most importantly, checking themselves.
“If dressing as a giant ballbag makes people stop, laugh, and learn how to save their own life – it’s 100% worth it. One awkward conversation could be the reason why someone catches their cancer early, and that’s what I’m doing this for – to save as many lives as possible.”
Despite being 96% curable when caught early, too many young men still don’t know the signs – or worse, feel too embarrassed to check. Toby wants to change that – one mile (and one giant costume) at a time.
The London Marathon marks a major highlight in the Big Ballsy Challenge, which aims to raise £240,000, equating to just £100 for every man diagnosed in the UK each year (2400 cases each year).
Toby’s Big Ballsy Challenge will be documented across social media, with video updates, behind-the-scenes moments, and stories from those who’ve been affected by testicular cancer.
The money raised will power The Robin Cancer Trust to continue its life-saving work in schools, universities, workplaces, and communities nationwide.
To support The Robin Cancer Trust or get involved in the Big Ballsy Challenge, visit: www.therobincancertrust.org/bigballsychallenge
