FINNING UK & Ireland’s business transformation general manager, Tim Ballard, is set to compete in the New York marathon as part of his Movember fundraising efforts.
Tim is a global ambassador for Movember and a cancer survivor. Movember is the organisation committed to changing the face of men’s health, tackling prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention.
Tim spearheads the Finning ‘Finntashtic’ team, which generates awareness and funds for this cause every year. For 2019, he was asked to run the marathon as part of the Movember global team.
He said, “When I was first asked to attempt the NYC marathon it was a big shock – I’d not even run a bath before! But with seven months to train, my slippers were put to one side and I purchased a pair of running shoes. Since the beginning of April, I have run over 400 miles in training and completed six races.
“Eight years ago, a good friend of mine took his own life, and it was around this time I also became aware of colleagues at work suffering from prostate cancer. So, I started to get involved with Movember, recruiting colleagues to join in too.
“The creation of the ‘Finntashtic’ team at Finning opened up conversations, and I found a number of colleagues were suffering from men’s health illnesses such as prostate, testicular and mental health issues. I then got kidney cancer myself, and on my return to work after five months off I was even more determined to make a difference with Movember.”
For updates on the ‘Finntashtic’ fundraising efforts, including Tim’s journey to New York, join the Facebook group: www.facebook.com/mo.finntashtic, or to donate directly go to the Movember sponsorship page: https://uk.movember.com/mospace/5321869.
