"When you hear the words cancer it's devastating, when you hear the words incurable it's indescribable and your world literally falls apart," the words of Tony Collier who was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer back in May 2017 and given only two years to live. Over five years on, Collier is coming to the end of his challenge which sees him run at least 5K every single day for a full year, and still fighting against the horrible disease. Here he talks about how his diagnosis came about, his extraordinary challenge, and just how many pairs of running trainers has he been through?
A run a day: Tony Collier on one of his 5Ks Credit: Tony Collier.
In the UK it's estimated more than 395,000 men are living with prostate cancer, with one in eight getting it in their lifetime.
Every year 52,000 British males are diagnosed with the disease, and more than 12,000 die as a result.
This month in particular is especially important, with November, or Movember as we now know it, being Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
Movember was set up with the aim being to raise awareness of prostate cancer, such as what its signs and symptoms could be, and to encourage men to see their doctors and get any irregularities checked out.
Grow a moustache: Movember's campaign Credit: Movember Twitter
Tony Collier was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer back in May 2017 and was only given two years to live.
Over five years on, he's defied those odds, and now nearing the end of his challenge of running at least five kilometres every single day since January 1.
Born and raised in Altrincham, the 65-year-old has covered over 1,000 miles so far, and by the end he would've reached 1,200, all done by using just three pairs of trainers, and picking up no blisters along the way.
Update: Tony was only given two years to live back in 2017. Credit: Tony Collier Twitter
He still remembers the day he was told his cancer was incurable whilst he was preparing for the Comrades Ultra Marathon held in South Africa.
"I did the Marathon over there the year before in 30-degree heat, and I was all ready and set to go back and give the 55 miler another crack," Collier said.
"In February I realised during a half marathon race that I was starting to feel some pain in my right groin, and it got progressively worse, but being a runner I just ignored it."
After doing the Paris and Manchester marathon only a week apart from each other in April that year, Tony's pain in his leg had become more frequent.
At one point he ended up not even being able to get up out of his car he was in that much pain, and with his trip to Durban looming in June, he went to see a sports injury specialist to try and clear up and diagnose his problem.
Keep moving: Tony wants to see as many people as possible get involved
Collier said: "The first doctor sent me for an MRI scan and wasn't happy, so he then made me go for a chest x-ray, do some blood tests, and have a full body scan which was really terrifying.
"On Tuesday May 9 at 8:00pm the doctor rang up to say that he was 99% certain that I had prostate cancer.
"Over the following 10 days I had bone scans, biopsies, then me and my wife met the neurologist who told me it was advance stage prostate cancer and that it had broken out of the area so was incurable and gave me two years to live.
"When you hear the words cancer it's devastating, when you hear the words incurable it's indescribable and your world literally falls apart."
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, and it was revealed by the NHS that due to the coronavirus there were around 14,000 men in the UK living with it undiagnosed.
Symptoms: Signs to look out for with the cancer.
Tony caught Covid himself and had to miss three days of running, meaning his challenge will now come to a close on January 3.
Alongside all of this, he still recieves his treatment and he admit he stumbled upon this idea of running at least 5K a day for a full calendar year on a cold day in a park last Christmas.
Collier said: "I was on TV on BBC talking about my diagnosis and my running, and I just remember it was absolutely freezing when the reporter asked me what my challenge for the next year was.
"At the time I hadn't really thought about it so the idea that just popped into my head was running at least five kilometres every single day for a full year."
He laughs: "They broadcast that and I felt I had no other choice then but to take on this challenge and do it."
Collier later found out due to more tests that the cancer could have been developing for at least 10 years in his body and had tumours in his bones from pelvis to skull.
Before being diagnosed, Collier used to be a fast runner, being able to run sub-20 minute times for a 5K distance, but now classes anything around 30 minutes as a good one.
Keep going: Tony runs more or less the same route every day on his challenge Credit: Tony Collier Twitter.
Finding the will to go out every single day though and run can be mentally and physically challenging though, and Collier doesn't know how he manages to do it at times.
"I have to say that some days it is really hard, and some days it's just hard," Collier said.
"I have daily treatment which removes the main male hormone which is almost like chemical castration.
"Losing muscle mass and bone density, you gain weight and suffer horrendous fatigue which is a really bad combination for a runner.
"Being honest I don't think I've had a run all year that I've felt comfortable in."
Collier has managed a 26-minute time this year though on his runs, which he says caught him by surprise.
He's not the only person though running a set distance every day.
Gary McKee from Cleator Moor in Cumbria is running 365 consecutive marathons in all weather conditions like Tony, and the two are running together tomorrow in Manchester to raise even more awareness for their causes.
It's Gary's first ever parkrun and Collier, who's ran 194, will be helping him along the way.
Marathon Man: I've joined Gary on one of his marathons this year Credit: Elwyn Evans.
There's one person in particular though that has kept Tony going through his challenge, his wife.
"She's been an absolute rock," Collier said.
"I wouldn't have got through the last five years without her.
"The only person who sees me at my lowest is her, whether I am in floods of tears or just in too much pain she has kept me going in so many ways such as even running with me on Sundays.
He jokes: "I think she's getting annoyed now though with the amount of washing she's having to do."
Collier has managed to reach his target of raising £8,500 for charity MOVE and hopes that his challenge will have an impact on people dealing with prostate cancer going forward.
Focused: Tony has his eyes firmly set on finishing his challenge in the new year Credit: Tony Collier.
Collier said: "I have this big thing with exercise and making sure you keeping moving, because it's now proven that it can help with cancer.
"The charity MOVE helps young teenagers and adults keep moving and my passion is about exercise and movement and making sure everyone is getting enough of it through the 5K your way campaign they support.
"Helping people out and being part of a support group that supports the scheme by MOVE at my local place in Wilmslow is great because we all do it together then all go for coffee afterwards but seeing these young people dealing with this horrible disease is what motivates me to get out bed every single day."
Tony's challenge ends on January 3, and he's come up with an idea which means that the day itself with be called move with Tony.
Collier hopes to get as many people as possible across the world involved with doing a 5K that day in any way possible and share it on social media using the hashtag movewithtony.
You can donate to Tony's fundraiser here: Anthony Collier is fundraising for MOVE (justgiving.com).
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