Patrick McIntosh, 62, is a grandfather, chartered financial adviser and rugby supporter who has survived three different types of cancer and now dedicates himself to promoting healthy living, inspiring others and fundraising for good causes.
In 2019, Patrick will cycle from the UK to the Rugby World Cup in Japan to prove what's possible after surviving bowel, prostate and skin cancer.
With the support of the England Rugby Football Union, Patrick, from Surrey, will set off from Twickenham Stadium, London on Saturday May 4, and will ride through Holland, Germany, Denmark and Sweden, before attempting to cross all of Russia by pedal power in just 90 days, following the route of the original Trans-Siberian railway from St Petersburg to Vladivostok.
But his epic journey will not stop there. After reaching Japan and cheering on England in the Rugby World Cup, Patrick intends to continue his global cycle in 2020 with a ride across North America and Iceland on his way back to the UK, visiting all four home nations before returning home to Surrey.
Patrick is no ordinary fund-raiser. Previously after beating bowel, prostate and skin cancer in 2015 he trekked to the South Pole, supported by Conrad Dickinson, ex-SAS soldier and a friend of Prince Harry. He also climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in between operations to remove half his bowel and his prostate gland.
Now he is taking on a journey of nearly 7,200 miles in aid of the World Cancer Research Fund (www.wcrf-uk.org) and St Catherine's Hospice, Surrey (www.stch.org.uk).
Patrick only found out he had bowel cancer after he went to give blood and doctors noticed his iron levels were dangerously low. He was subsequently told he had prostate and skin cancer, which doctors thought were unconnected. However, he has since discovered he has genetic conditions (Lynch Syndrome and Muire Torres syndrome) that may explain the triple diagnosis.
He says: "Doctors said it was terrible luck to get three cancers diagnosed at the same time, but actually I was incredibly lucky to catch them early and be able to have surgery. Now I just want to highlight the importance of eating well, doing exercise, staying positive and getting any symptoms checked because the big C is no longer a death sentence for everyone."
His message is summarised by the four points of a "Cancer Compass" which helped him cope with and overcome the disease:
1. Exercise - Help Yourself Feel Better
2. Eat Well - Think About Diet
3. Get Checked - Early Diagnosis is Crucial
4. Stay Positive - Fight for the Future
Patrick's exploits have previously been covered by the BBC, ITV and Sky as well as national newspapers, and he was nominated for a Pride of Britain award in the year of his Antarctic Trek. He has since been a popular motivational speaker and continues to manage KMG Independent, his financial planning business based in Smallfield, Surrey, and registered charity KMG Foundation, which donates to his chosen causes.
Patrick's fundraising page can be found here and you can follow Patrick's progress on Twitter here.
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