CEO Glenn Julius of Lymington-based Onyx Events explains why family tragedy led to him fundraising for Breast Cancer UK
A MAN who embarked on an epic bike ride from Rome to Sicily to raise money for a breast cancer charity has revealed how the disease has cast a shadow over his family.
Glenn Julius raised more than £15,000 for Breast Cancer UK by cycling the 700 miles in Italy.
He decided to start fundraising because his wife, Bryony, and daughter Lilly Stone both have the BRCA2 gene, which massively increases their chances of getting the disease.
Both women have undergone a double mastectomy and reconstruction as Bryony’s mother and grandmother had both died from breast cancer.
Glenn, who is CEO of Lymington-based Onyx Events, said: "That's how it all started. Bryony's mother first had breast cancer in her mid-40s and sadly died at age 67 of secondaries.
“They found the BRCA2 gene in her blood in 2008, and contacted Bryony for a blood test that year, which identified her as a carrier of the gene.
"Regular checks followed and, in 2011, an MRI scan identified a tiny blemish on a pectoral muscle on the right side. However, it wasn't clearly identified as cancerous by the NHS.
“We moved to private health and got a second opinion. The oncologist said they wanted to remove the blemish despite it being microscopic; the breast cancer was clarified behind a pectoral muscle.”
Bryony had a year of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The couple's daughter Lilly earlier this year made the difficult decision to also have breast reconstruction, purely for prevention.
Glenn revealed: "Our daughter is a therapist and approached her diagnosis with a pragmatic mindset. She had seen her mother, my wife, battle this disease, undergo gruelling treatments, and do everything in her power to eliminate the risk. So, despite being only 33 and already a mother of two, she made the courageous decision to take preventative action and have the same DIEP operation."
Lilly had the operation on the NHS. Glenn said "Fortunately, the NHS has woken up to prevention rather than cure, offering this amazing support to carriers of the BRCA1 and 2 genes and saving the taxpayer thousands of pounds while saving lives – that was the route Lilly took."
Talking about his charity bike ride, he said: "I am beyond humbled by the number of people who followed me and helped us raise thousands of pounds. I'm very proud and will keep sharing our experiences and family journey, promoting prevention.
"If you keep an eye on your body and listen to it, you've got a far better chance of seeing this thing coming around the corner. You do value life a lot more, and that’s been a huge thing, enjoying every day!"
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK. Over 55,000 women and 390 men a year are diagnosed with the disease. Yet around a third of these cases are preventable. Regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and avoiding different chemicals and other environmental factors that could affect breast cancer risk can all help to prevent the disease.
Glenn started training for the charity ride with friend and personal trainer Justin Glasspool, who accompanied him on it.
He said: "We trained hard until we flew out to Rome. I knew it was going to be hot: anything beyond noon was impossible to ride because it was hitting 40 degrees. So, we left each day at first light, which was four or five o'clock in the morning.
"We just thought about getting through the day, including all those steep inclines. A friend commiserated with us as she'd been cycling the hills in Devon. I answered that was nothing...the hills in Italy were mountains!
"The Italian people are lovely. They love cyclists, but Italian drivers are bonkers.”
An apprentice at Onyx Events, Roscoe Morris, created the bike route as part of his training.
Glenn said: "That was quite a big thing, really. Obviously, he had my encouragement and direction, but he did it really well."
To donate or find out how you can organise your own fundraiser, visit https://www.breastcanceruk.org.uk/get-involved/fundraise/
