Olympian faces fears for Brain Tumour Research

Olympic Rowing champion Mark Hunter MBE will be handling a Boa Constrictor to launch a campaign hoping to raise £1 million for charity Brain Tumour Research.

As the charity’s newly appointed patron Mr Hunter will be facing up to his lifelong fear of snakes at Dartmoor Zoo tomorrow to kick off the charity’s annual ‘Conquer it together’ fundraising campaign.

Mr Hunter said: ““My involvement with Brain Tumour Research has introduced me to people facing bigger challenges than this. People diagnosed with brain tumours, yet living their lives as best they can with an intensity of courage and determination I have never encountered before,

“Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet receive less than 1% of the national government spend on cancer research. That’s simply unacceptable

Mr Hunter and guests, including former MP Anne Widdecombe will be going face  to face with some of Dartmoor Zoos least cuddly specimens including Cockroaches, Scorpions and a Chilean Rose Tarantula, a bird hunting spider.

Ms Widdecombe said: “Treatments lag seriously behind other cancers and I am joining the call to government to extend the reach of the national cancer register to include all research grants and research work into all cancers across the UK, including brain tumours.”

The event will be hosted by Ben Mee owner of Dartmoor Zoo famously the real life basis for Hollywood film ‘We Bought A Zoo’ starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson.

For Mr Mee the charity is also a personal cause having tragically lost his wife Katherine to the disease in 2006.

Mr Mee said: “It’s a terrible disease with less than 19% of those diagnosed surviving beyond five years, compare that figure with the 50% average taken across all cancers and it’s very clear something needs to be done about it.”
Also attending are Hugh Adams from Brain Tumour Research and Professor Oliver Hanemann, head of a Plymouth University research team  currently developing treatments for brain tumours.

For more information on the campaign and details on how to get involved visit http://www.braintumourresearch.org/conquer-it-together