Home | Blog | 24 Sports, 24 Hours And A Community That Moved Me

24 Sports, 24 Hours And A Community That Moved Me

Cancer has shaped my life in ways I could never have anticipated. As with many families, we’ve lost loved ones to cancer and walked alongside family, friends and colleagues through diagnosis, treatment and beyond. For nearly 15 years I have worked with organisations striving every day to support people living with cancer. My experiences have shown me time and again that in addition to great clinical care, crucially people need community, support and the freedom to keep living fully in the way that’s right for them. That belief is at the heart of everything we do at MOVE Against Cancer. And it’s why I recently attempted a challenge that meant everything to me.

24 sports In 24 hours – The Moving More Together Challenge

The goal was simple, if not entirely easy! 24 different sports within 24 consecutive hours, moving alongside a small group of people all impacted by cancer. With me throughout were my good friend Richard and our Bedford 5k Your Way ambassador Jenny Wilson. Jenny set out with the modest ambition of completing 12 sports but her competitive nature had other ideas and all three of us ended up completing 25 sports! We were joined throughout the day by friends, family and newcomers.

We started with a run at 5k Your Way in Bedford Park then moved on to Nordic Walking, a gym session, a spin class, racketball, golf, squash, pickleball, adapted trikes, long jump, 100m sprint, weight training, cardio wall, table tennis, tennis, rowing, cricket, football, touch rugby, ultimate frisbee, badminton, cycling, yoga, pilates and basketball. We moved across Bedford for a full day and night, moving our way together against cancer and demonstrating the power of movement and community. 

Part of the point of trying out such a wide variety of sports was to demonstrate that movement looks different for everyone, that all movement counts and that movement should be enjoyable. Richard said the challenge was “the most fun I’ve had fundraising ever!” I discovered that pickleball was a really good workout. And Jenny remarked that “some of us are better at endurance, some are better with hand-eye co-ordination and some of those things you hated at school can be quite fun now!” By the time we stepped onto the basketball court at hour 23 – for a game I had never played in my life – I was exhausted, emotional and more grateful than I can express.  

The Numbers Tell Their Own Story

•     Sports completed: 25 (yes, we sneaked in one extra!)
•     Steps taken: Over 25,000
•     Distance covered: Over 20 miles
•     People who joined in: Over 70, aged from 8 to 80!
•     Money raised for MOVE Against Cancer: Over £2,000 (and counting)

So why does this matter? The science is clear and it is worth saying plainly: movement changes lives. From structured physical activity to less intense exercise, it’s quite simply about moving more. Exercise is one of the most important things anyone diagnosed with cancer can do to enhance wellbeing and improve health outcomes both during and after treatment.

The evidence is growing: exercise and movement can help prevent cancer, support people before and during treatment, reduce side effects and after treatment it can even help prevent recurrence. We talk about movement rather than exercise at MOVE Against Cancer precisely because it should feel accessible to everyone, whatever their starting point. We know that not enough people are getting access to the support and information they need and we know there is more to be done to support everyone to move in the way that is right for them. Our vision is for every single person impacted by cancer to live an active and fulfilling life. Saturday was just one day in service of that vision.

Since joining MOVE last year, what has struck me is the vital role community sport can play in making this real. From the incredible 5k Your Way group at Bedford Park who sent us off at the start (one of over 130 groups now meeting across the UK every month) to the brilliant teams at Better, Movefit Pilates, Bedford Cricket Club, Bedford Pickleball, Bedford Towers, Riverside Tennis, Fresh Air Nordic Walking and so many others. Community sport is not just about exercise and fitness. It is about connection, belonging, showing up for one another – and fun. That is exactly what people living with and beyond cancer need, and it’s exactly what Bedford delivered in abundance. 

Moving more together through community-based sport and exercise allows people to move in the way that’s right for them and to discover the power of movement for themselves. The ‘Move Your Way’ message is at the very heart of this. And we all have a part to play in supporting people to get active and keep moving against cancer in their community. Finally – and most importantly – thank you. To everyone who donated, shared, sponsored a sport, cheered from the sidelines, hosted us at their facility or joined us for an activity. This was your achievement as much as ours. Every pound raised goes towards ensuring people impacted by cancer get the support they need to live active, fulfilling lives.

Ready To Get Moving More?

This challenge was always meant to be the first of many. MOVE Against Cancer is inviting people to take on their own 24 Sports In 24 Hours challenge in their town. So…

• What would your 24 sports be?
• Where would you get active and move in your area?
• Who are the community of people you would move with?

Once you know the answers to these questions then it’s time for you to step up to the challenge! Why not try 24 In 24 and let’s keep moving more, together.

We will help you to get your own challenge underway. Find out more at: moveagainstcancer.org/get-fundraising.

David Henderson, CEO, MOVE Against Cancer