Newcastle man's 'Tour de France' for Sir Bobby cancer charity

The 46-year-old has stage 4 bowel cancer so has been shielding from coronavirus at the Newcastle home he shares with wife, Amber, and seven-year-old son, Caspian.

He converted his road bike to a static bike and used a simulator to replicate the route from 2018, the year he was off work with cancer and had time to watch the whole event, and covered about 50km a day.

With sponsorship, the software developer raised more than £3,000 for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

Diagnosed in May 2017, after six months of chemotherapy, Mr Farquharson was told half the people with his prognosis die within a year.

But he credits the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre at Newcastle’s Northern Centre for Cancer Care, with keeping him alive for the last two and a half years by offering him a trial of a new drug which began in February 2018.

He says he has found the exercise mentally and physically beneficial and has been ‘meeting’ up online to virtually ride with friends he would normally cycle with.

He said: “I’m shattered and pleased it’s over but it’s been so, so good. Strangely, the hardest part was about halfway through when I came off the hills and it was flat. It was just less interesting to do, so it was quite hard to keep motivated.

“Raising money for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation has really helped. I always used to cycle when I had chemo. It helps you mentally, you can get out and think about something other than what’s going on and it makes a big difference.

“I’d like to thank everyone who has supported and sponsored me while I've been cycling. All my family and friends have given me great encouragement and the kind words and donations I've received from people don’t even know have helped enormously.”

Using a Bkool Pro 2 turbo trainer to convert his road bike and a Bkool simulator, Keith began his ‘Tour’ in the kitchen on 28th March, has cycled in the living room and, on a fine day, sets his bike up in the back yard.

It has been an extremely difficult few years for the Farquharson family. In January 2017, Keith’s father was diagnosed with stage four kidney and bladder cancer. Two months later, Amber, Keith’s wife, was told she had cervical cancer and just two months after that, Keith was diagnosed with bowel cancer. Sadly, his father died last year.

Sir Bobby Robson launched his Foundation in 2008. It does not employ professional fundraisers and, relying completely on the incredible generosity of the general public, has gone on to raise over £14 million to find more effective ways to detect and treat cancer.

Lady Elsie says: “What a marvellous achievement this is. I think Keith must be a very special man indeed to have completed this ride and in such difficult circumstances.

“He’s done the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation very proud and I’m grateful to everyone who has supported us and donated because of Keith’s efforts.”

Professor Ruth Plummer, is the director of the Sir Bobby Cancer Trials Research Centre, which has been able to provide essential treatment for patients throughout the COVID-19 crisis.

Professor Plummer says: “All of the us here at the Sir Bobby Centre are so proud of Keith for completing this amazing challenge.

“Like all our patients, Keith is part of our clinical trials team. He understands the importance of trialling new drugs both for him personally and for others.

“He’s done something very special in finishing this ride and we hope his little jaunt ‘around France’ gave him something positive to focus on during lockdown.”

The 2018 Tour de France race consisted of 21 stages, starting in Noirmoutier-en-l'Île, in western France, and finishing with the Champs-Élysées stage in Paris.

Keith has tweeted throughout his ride from his account, @DeadManRunning1, sponsor him at justgiving.com/fundraising/keith-farquharson-gnr-2020