We’re partnering with JD Gyms to host a bowel cancer awareness day
Tuesday 24 October 2023
We’re delighted to announce that JD Gyms is partnering with us to run a ‘fitness just got serious about bowel cancer’ day across all their 81 gyms throughout the UK.
The goal of the day is to increase awareness and understanding of bowel cancer among JD Gyms’ members while also raising vital funds for us.
On the day the gyms will be kitted out with our awareness materials, there'll be a fitness and fundraising challenge, and the JD Gyms team will be on hand to signpost members' to our website for more information about the disease.
JD Gyms were inspired to host the awareness day after one of their members, Tasha Thor-Straten, aged 50 from Essex, called on the fitness industry to help spread awareness of bowel cancer.
Tasha was diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer in 2017 aged 44. She wants to dispel the myth that the disease only affects older people and hopes that the day will empower JD Gyms’ members to go to their GP if they're experiencing symptoms.
Tasha Thor-Straten said: “Being fit and healthy saved my life and enabled me to recover quickly from bowel cancer.
“JD Gyms is where I choose to work out so that I can be in the best physical and mental state if and when any bumps in the road appear ahead. I’m forever grateful to the team at JD Gyms for getting behind this awareness and fundraising campaign.”
Matt Sykes, Head of Operations at JD Gyms, said: “We're honoured to be partnering with Bowel Cancer UK this October to raise funds for a cause that affects so many people in the UK, including some of our wonderful members.
“Physical activity plays an important role in both cancer prevention and recovery, and so we're encouraging our members to take part in some fun fitness challenges to raise vital funds whilst increasing awareness of the symptoms of bowel cancer. Members can check what's on during the day and join in with the activities, or simply make a donation.”
Luke Squires, Director of Fundraising at Bowel Cancer UK, said: “We’re thrilled that JD Gyms is hosting a bowel cancer awareness day, and so grateful to Tasha for this fantastic idea.
“Every 15 minutes someone is diagnosed with bowel cancer, which means in the hour that an average gym session lasts, four people will hear the words no one wants to hear: ‘you have bowel cancer’.
“Knowing the symptoms of the disease means people can contact their GP quickly if they spot any, and hopefully, get an earlier diagnosis. Events like this one can make more people aware of signs to look out for and will help save lives from bowel cancer.”
The awareness day will take place across all JD Gyms sites on Tuesday 24 October.
- Learn more about the symptoms of bowel cancer
- Join us as a corporate partner
- Find out more about our work
