Ski coach completes 24-hour run challenge in honour of dad’s cancer battle

A Longton ski coach whose dad has lung cancer completed a gruelling 24 hour running challenge to raise money for Rosemere Cancer Foundation.

Ashley Morton swapped ski boots for trainers and ran repeat loops of a 5km river bank course in the Swiss ski resort of Zermatt.

Ashley now lives and works in the Alpine village with his wife Faye, a snowboarding instructor, and their three-year-old daughter Riley.

His dad Tony Brocklebank still lives in Lancashire and owns the town’s The Lemon Tree café bar. Tony, 60, is currently in treatment at Rosemere Cancer Centre.

Ashley said: “The run was the hardest thing I’ve ever done but for the past two years, my dad has been receiving treatment at Rosemere, and the care and support they’ve provided has been incredible. Their dedication to helping cancer patients and their families inspired me to push my limits and raise funds for their crucial work.”

After completing the run, Ashley brought his family back to Longton to hand over his donation to Tony and mum Sue.

Earlier this year, Tony and Sue gave Rosemere Cancer Foundation a cheque for £4,555.56, which they raised through a sponsored walk with friends last year and by having Rosemere collection tins on the bar.

Their total was boosted by £1,000 from customer John Arrowsmith, who also completed a sponsored walk, the 72-mile River Ribble Ramble, which follows the Ribble from its source at Cam Fell in the Yorkshire Dales to the sea, and from loose change in Rosemere bar top collection tins from neighbouring pub The Golden Ball.

Yvonne Stott, community and events fundraiser for Rosemere Cancer Foundation, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to Ashley for his fantastic, hard- earned donation. Tony, Sue and the whole Longton community have been ultra-supportive of our work to ensure patients at Rosemere Cancer Centre have access to the latest, most innovative treatments and services.”

Rosemere Cancer Foundation works to bring world class cancer treatments and services to cancer patients from throughout Lancashire and South Cumbria being treated not only at Rosemere Cancer Centre, the region’s specialist radiotherapy and cancer treatment centre at the Royal Preston Hospital, but also at another eight local hospital cancer units across the two counties, including that at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital.

The charity funds cutting-edge equipment, clinical research, staff training and innovative services and initiatives that the NHS cannot afford in order to make patients’ cancer journey more effective, comfortable and stress-free.

Subscribe: Keep in touch directly with the latest headlines from Blog Preston, join our WhatsApp channel and subscribe for our twice-a-week email newsletter. Both free and direct to your phone and inbox.