Coastal rower embarking on charity challenge throughout November to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK and Pulmonary Fibrosis NI
By Ronan Scott
A NEWCASTLE rower has expressed his delight at the support he has received already for his upcoming fundraising challenge.
Gordon Kendall has set himself the challenge of rowing 300 kilometres in November in aid of Prostate Cancer UK and Pulmonary Fibrosis NI.
Gordon, who is a member of Dundrum Coastal Rowing Club, is going to row 10k every day throughout the month of November.
“It has been tremendous,” he said.
“The people in the club have been really supportive.”
Gordon, who is 72 years old, was inspired to start the challenge, ‘Movember 300’ and raise the money for two reasons and for two charities.
Firstly, because he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2019, and secondly because his friend David Coffey died in 2023 from pulmonary fibrosis.
The first charity he is raising money for is Prostate Cancer UK.
“It occurred to me to do something because the issue of men’s health and prostate cancer is focused on in November in the form of Movember.
“It seemed like a good time for me to do something.”
Movember is a movement set up to raise awareness of men’s health and usually involves men growing moustaches or taking on other fundraising events.
“I have prostate cancer but despite that I stay healthy and fit.
“That hasn’t impacted on me in any way physically as yet.
“For me it is a way of contributing and giving something back for the care that I have received. It is going to Prostate Cancer UK for nationwide research into the disease.”
The second reason for his fundraising drive is in memory of his friend David Coffey, who died in 2023 from Pulmonary Fibrosis.
“I was at school with Dave in Down High. We were great friends then and we remained great friends through the years.”
His connection to rowing happened when he returned to Newcastle.
Gordon spent his working life in Liverpool and returned home to Newcastle in 2016.
A year later he started rowing with the Dundrum Coastal Rowing Club.
He has continued to do so every year since and has been part of the local club’s incredible success story.
He decided to do a rowing challenge because rowing is such a huge part of his life.
Gordon added that rowing has the twin benefits of a competitive aspect but also a social side.
“The rowing club is very important because it is such an enjoyable activity,” he said.
“I can row 10k in or around 50 minutes. I know I can do that and I know I can sustain it. The difficulty will be the repetition. It will be important for me that nutrition and rest are right. That will contribute to the success.”
Because he keeps himself fit and active, he has no fears about not achieving the challenge.
“It is something I do virtually every day. I just like to keep fit and keep strong.
“If anything, I am positive and confident that I will be able to do it.”
He said that a key purpose of his fundraiser is to raise awareness of prostate cancer.
“The other message is that any men out there who think they have any waterwork problems make sure that they get checked. It is very important.
“It is a message you have to learn.
“For women they are screened automatically for things like cervical cancer and breast cancer and men are not screened for prostate cancer and it is one of the largest causes of fatality in men in the United Kingdom and beyond.”
His own experience with prostate cancer taught him about being aware of your health.
“I got it early. I had problems for a while and it wasn’t really until I retired back to Northern Ireland and I got into the South Eastern Trust that I got it diagnosed. The care that I received was, and still is, absolutely fabulous.
“I am in a programme what is called active surveillance. That’s a process of six-monthly blood tests and MRI scans which keep an eye on things.”
He will be using Facebook and Instagram to promote his upcoming charity challenge and hopes to share photos and data from the rowing machine he will be using.
“A few times I will be down at the boat shed in Dundrum rowing there in a more visible position,” Gordon added.
“I know that the pulmonary fibrosis group want to come to one of those sessions.”
If you would like more information about the fundraiser, you can visit this site – https://www.givewheel.com/fundraising/10698/movember-300/
