Boxing legend Johnny Nelson joins cancer campaign carrying Baton for Yorkshire through Sheffield

Sheffield boxing legend Johnny Nelson has joined an important fundraising campaign to help fund life-saving research.

We Walk for Yorkshire is Yorkshire Cancer Research’s annual walking fundraising campaign, each year it calls for people across the region to collectively walk 35,000 miles to fund life-saving research.

Participants carry the 'Baton for Yorkshire', similar to the Olympic torch relay – with participants carrying it for someone affected by cancer and adding a message of hope to the baton before passing it on to the next bearer.

Speaking about the importance of this campaign, Johnny said: “It’s about raising awareness. Unfortunately, the numbers for cancer is highest in our area. Why? We don’t know. What is important is that we need to raise funds and awareness.”

It is a cause that particularly strikes a chord with Johnny on many levels

He said: “It’s important to me because Aaron (Casserly-Stewart) is a good friend of mine and he had prostate cancer. Aaron’s illness made me and my friends think about this.

“Also, my stepdad died of prostate cancer. It made me think long and hard about the stigma.

“I realised how much it affected people close by.

“This is real, it’s not always happening to somebody else. It could be your brother, father, cousin or your best mate. Let’s get ourselves checked.”

In some cultures there remains a dismissive element when it comes to being checked for signs of illness, says Johnny. He wants to change that.

He said: “Being a black man there is a massive stigma attached to it, and some will be like ‘I ain’t going’. But I said, let’s do this.

“It’s not always going to happen to someone else. One day and the chances are high that it’s going to be someone that you know, that’s connected to you.

“It’s very easy to ignore it, until it’s on your doorstep.”

We Walk for Yorkshire is brought to life through the ‘Baton for Yorkshire’ relay, which makes its way through 35 locations across the region. Beginning in Hull the campaign has made its way through Halifax and has now reached Sheffield.

Aaron and Johnny received the baton in Sheffield’s Peace Gardens on Monday (May 11) before setting off towards the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre at the Olympic Legacy Park.

A crowd gathered to welcome them as they completed their leg of the relay. It is a location that has particular significance to many who are undergoing treatment and for those on the road to recovery.

The recipient of the baton here is Simon Twigge, who has fought cancer himself and is now working towards recovery.

He said: “In preparation for my treatment and to also help me recuperate from my treatment, I actually came here and took part in a program that Yorkshire Cancer Research set up to prove how important exercise is for your rehabilitation.”

Active Together is a research-backed cancer exercise treatment service funded by the charity.

Following the Sheffield part of the fundraising campaign, We Walk for Yorkshire will continue its journey onwards to a final destination in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

For more information about the We Walk for Yorkshire campaign go to: https://join.yorkshirecancerresearch.org.uk/event/we-walk-for-yorkshire/home

To see more information about the work Yorkshire Cancer Research does, go to: https://www.yorkshirecancerresearch.org.uk/