Nichiless Takes On Half Marathon After Cancer Treatment
Entries close for the Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run Half Marathon on Monday, 6 March – to sign up, visit greatrun.org/manchester
A TEACHER will take on his first-ever half marathon to thank the cancer specialists that saved his life.
Nichiless Dey, from Wigan, has signed up for the Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run half marathon which takes place on Sunday, 28 May, raising money for The Christie cancer centre.
In 2015, Nichiless was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a blood cancer, immediately undergoing surgery to remove the enlarged nodes.
He was then transferred to The Christie, where a combination of watch and wait treatment and psycho-oncology was followed by a two-week course of radiotherapy in November 2016.
Now, Nichiless – who now suffers from chronic fatigue – is on the road to become ready to take on the challenge of a 13.1mile run through the city centre of Manchester.
On his decision to choose a running event, Nichiless said: “I’d normally do my fundraising through cycling. I was going to do The Christie event last year but I was not well enough to do so.
“A lot of the time it is like having a fairly heavy hangover.
“I wanted to run a marathon, so I walked one, then changed my mind rather quickly. However, I think a half marathon is fully achievable.
@With a bit of luck it will all go well. I don’t want to finish last, put it that way.
“I want to give something back to The Christie.
“They have always been there for me. You hear so many bad things about the NHS but The Christie have been great.”
Nichiless, 49, who teaches at Bury Grammar School, has begun training for the half marathon, which starts and finishes in the city centre, taking in a route past the Etihad Stadium and Old Trafford.
He added: “Training has not been great at the moment. I have gone back to work so that complicates things but I’m just getting on with it.
“I have been doing some training on the flat but to be truthful, hills are my nemesis at the moment.
“My friends are going to take part as well so I won’t be alone.
“I’m looking forward to it for sure. It’s going to be a big challenge but one worth doing.”
“It’s the complete unknown for me.”
Amy Blackburn, from The Christie, said: “It is great to have Nichiless on board with Team Christie for The Great Manchester Run, especially taking on the new 13.1 mile distance as his first ever half marathon.
“He has experienced first-hand the care and support that The Christie can offer patients and their families, none of which would be possible without our dedicated fundraisers.
“We are really excited about this year’s event as it promises to be bigger and better than ever.”
Entries close for the Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run half marathon on March 6, to enter visit greatrun.org/manchester
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