Latest news with #CureLeukaemia
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Intrepid Geoff Thomas geared up for another crack at Tour de France route
When Geoff Thomas was forced to abandon his seventh attempt to complete Tour 21 at the age of 58 after an unforgiving day on the cobblestones, the former Crystal Palace captain thought his days in the saddle were over. 'My bike sort of disintegrated underneath me,' remembers Thomas. 'That's when the issues with my knees started so I'd not really been on the bike since then.' But, two years on and having celebrated his 60th birthday earlier this year, he will join the group of amateur riders in tackling the entire Tour de France route a week before the pros, a ride of nearly 3,500km to raise money for Cure Leukaemia. Advertisement Related: John Textor seeks sale of Crystal Palace stake in bid to avoid European ban 'Before Christmas, it seemed a long shot because after so many years of playing football, I've got grade four arthritis in both my knees,' Thomas says. 'They said I was probably not far away from needing to have knee replacements. But I didn't really want to do that.' That was when Mark Gillett stepped in. The Premier League's chief medical officer took part in Tour 21 in 2022 when Thomas had to give up because of the chronic pain he was in. Gillett recommended a hydrogel injection called Arthrosamid, which was first developed for treating horses and is now being used for those suffering with osteoarthritis in the knee. 'You put the injection into the joint, and over three to six months, it gets incorporated into the joint lining and forms a physical barrier,' he says. 'So it's like a gel barrier, so that, whereas in arthritis the natural lining of the joint gets eroded and you get really sensitive nerve endings and bone on bone, you get that barrier between the two, so you're not feeling so much pain.' Advertisement The results have been spectacular for Thomas, who jokes that 'it feels like polyfilla at times', adding: 'I could feel the knee not going through the same pain as it was when I was trying to get back on the bike. A couple of months later, I'm getting out there and doing 135-mile rides again. It's allowing me to have that dream of doing the Tour again.' Thomas, who won nine caps for England, knows all about overcoming the odds. He was given three months to live when he was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia in 2003, a year after retiring from playing. But, after receiving a stem cell transplant from his sister Kay and undergoing treatment from Prof Charlie Craddock, he entered remission in January 2005. The life-saving treatment motivated him to embark on his first Tour 21 a few months later to raise money for continuing research into the disease, with Thomas estimating that each edition has helped to raise more than £1m for Cure Leukaemia, which has also been adopted as the Tour de France's official charity partner. 'What the charity's done from when I was diagnosed in 2003 … the chances of any clinical trials going on in the world of blood cancer was minimal,' he says. 'It was Charlie who really had this vision of building an infrastructure that would accelerate trials through the system. That's up and running now and people are surviving in bigger numbers.' Advertisement Thomas interrupted his training to see Palace finally lift their first major trophy by beating Manchester City – the club he supported as a child – at Wembley in the FA Cup final. It was 35 years after he had led them to their first final, before Palace finished third in the old First Division the following season. They were denied a place in Europe as English clubs were being phased back into European competition after being banned in the mid-1980s, and Thomas is hoping that the lure of a Europa League campaign under Oliver Glasner can persuade some of their best players such as Marc Guéhi and Eberechi Eze to stay in south London. 'Hopefully times are changing and Palace will be able to build on their success,' he says. But it is the prospect of completing this year's gruelling route – which will feature five mountain finishes including the famous Hautacam, Ventoux and the Col de la Loze summits – that will occupy his mind over the next few weeks. Gillett has full confidence that Thomas can overcome his knee issues and make it to the finish line on the Champs Élysées in mid-July. 'I'm a very optimistic guy, that's part of my job,' he says. 'But probably two or three months ago, I was thinking, 'I'm not sure he can do this'. But he's got a really good chance. He's done incredibly well.' For Thomas, finally completing the Tour for a seventh time would be a fitting way to round off his cycling career. 'In some ways, I wish I had finished in 2021 because it was fantastic riding into Paris knowing that we had raised so much money. But I knew I had to do it again and now I want to finish on a high to help celebrate Cure Leukaemia and what they are going to be doing over the next five to 10 years.' • Support Geoff and the Tour 21 team in changing the future of treatment for blood cancer patients across the globe by donating to their Just Giving page.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Intrepid Geoff Thomas geared up for another crack at Tour de France route
When Geoff Thomas was forced to abandon his seventh attempt to complete Tour 21 at the age of 58 after an unforgiving day on the cobblestones, the former Crystal Palace captain thought his days in the saddle were over. 'My bike sort of disintegrated underneath me,' remembers Thomas. 'That's when the issues with my knees started so I'd not really been on the bike since then.' But, two years on and having celebrated his 60th birthday earlier this year, he will join the group of amateur riders in tackling the entire Tour de France route a week before the pros, a ride of nearly 3,500km to raise money for Cure Leukaemia. 'Before Christmas, it seemed a long shot because after so many years of playing football, I've got grade four arthritis in both my knees,' Thomas says. 'They said I was probably not far away from needing to have knee replacements. But I didn't really want to do that.' That was when Mark Gillett stepped in. The Premier League's chief medical officer took part in Tour 21 in 2022 when Thomas had to give up because of the chronic pain he was in. Gillett recommended a hydrogel injection called Arthrosamid, which was first developed for treating horses and is now being used for those suffering with osteoarthritis in the knee. 'You put the injection into the joint, and over three to six months, it gets incorporated into the joint lining and forms a physical barrier,' he says. 'So it's like a gel barrier, so that, whereas in arthritis the natural lining of the joint gets eroded and you get really sensitive nerve endings and bone on bone, you get that barrier between the two, so you're not feeling so much pain.' The results have been spectacular for Thomas, who jokes that 'it feels like polyfilla at times', adding: 'I could feel the knee not going through the same pain as it was when I was trying to get back on the bike. A couple of months later, I'm getting out there and doing 135-mile rides again. It's allowing me to have that dream of doing the Tour again.' Thomas, who won nine caps for England, knows all about overcoming the odds. He was given three months to live when he was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia in 2003, a year after retiring from playing. But, after receiving a stem cell transplant from his sister Kay and undergoing treatment from Prof Charlie Craddock, he entered remission in January 2005. The life-saving treatment motivated him to embark on his first Tour 21 a few months later to raise money for continuing research into the disease, with Thomas estimating that each edition has helped to raise more than £1m for Cure Leukaemia, which has also been adopted as the Tour de France's official charity partner. 'What the charity's done from when I was diagnosed in 2003 … the chances of any clinical trials going on in the world of blood cancer was minimal,' he says. 'It was Charlie who really had this vision of building an infrastructure that would accelerate trials through the system. That's up and running now and people are surviving in bigger numbers.' Thomas interrupted his training to see Palace finally lift their first major trophy by beating Manchester City – the club he supported as a child – at Wembley in the FA Cup final. It was 35 years after he had led them to their first final, before Palace finished third in the old First Division the following season. They were denied a place in Europe as English clubs were being phased back into European competition after being banned in the mid-1980s, and Thomas is hoping that the lure of a Europa League campaign under Oliver Glasner can persuade some of their best players such as Marc Guéhi and Eberechi Eze to stay in south London. 'Hopefully times are changing and Palace will be able to build on their success,' he says. But it is the prospect of completing this year's gruelling route – which will feature five mountain finishes including the famous Hautacam, Ventoux and the Col de la Loze summits – that will occupy his mind over the next few weeks. Gillett has full confidence that Thomas can overcome his knee issues and make it to the finish line on the Champs Élysées in mid-July. 'I'm a very optimistic guy, that's part of my job,' he says. 'But probably two or three months ago, I was thinking, 'I'm not sure he can do this'. But he's got a really good chance. He's done incredibly well.' For Thomas, finally completing the Tour for a seventh time would be a fitting way to round off his cycling career. 'In some ways, I wish I had finished in 2021 because it was fantastic riding into Paris knowing that we had raised so much money. But I knew I had to do it again and now I want to finish on a high to help celebrate Cure Leukaemia and what they are going to be doing over the next five to 10 years.' Support Geoff and the Tour 21 team in changing the future of treatment for blood cancer patients across the globe by donating to their Just Giving page.
Daily Mirror
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Crystal Palace hero went from beating leukaemia to riding Tour de France route
WALLY MEETS: Geoff Thomas captained Crystal Palace in the 1990 FA Cup final and is now undertaking epic charity bike rides - with the football legend giving his thoughts on Saturday's Wembley match Geoff Thomas is back on the bike, preparing to climb Tour de France monster peak Mount Ventoux as Crystal Palace face their Everest at Wembley. Some 20 years after he went into remission, after being diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia and warned he may have only three months to live, Thomas is counting his blessings - and hoping Palace make history. Back in July 2003 – the month when Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea and David Beckham left Manchester United – the outlook was bleak for the first Palace captain to lead the Eagles into the FA Cup final. Revolutionary stem cell treatment, recommended by his consultant Dr Charlie Craddock, saved his life. When he dodged the Grim Reaper's scythe, Thomas resolved to raise funds for Cure Leukaemia by undertaking epic charity bike rides to help other blood cancer patients. Now, at 60, he is gearing up for his seventh assault on the Tour route, all 2,062 miles of it in 21 stages, a week before the professional peloton thanks to cutting-edge hydrogel Arthrosamid lubricating his battle-scarred knees. And he will be at Wembley hoping to see Palace land their first major trophy against the team he supported as a boy. 'I'm a Manchester lad and I was brought up as a City fan,' said Thomas, warming down after a training ride-out on the bike. 'We weren't even allowed to look at the red side of Manchester, it was out of bounds! 'But now I'm rooting for Crystal Palace. I'm as desperate as any fan for Palace to enjoy something special and unprecedented in their history - lifting the FA Cup. 'The Cup final is a magical occasion, something you're blessed to be a part of, and as a player you have a chance to write your name in Wembley history. It's a very different stadium now to the one where we played the 1990 final. "The long walk up the tunnel with your studs going clack-clack-clack on the concrete floor, the same walk as England's 1966 World Cup team, is something that never leaves you. Now you walk out on to the pitch by the halfway line and after a dozen steps it's over. Don't get me wrong, it's still a magnificent stadium, but it feels very continental. 'But I would love it if Palace could go one step further than us in 1990. We were minutes away from glory, and I was beginning to dream of how I was going to lift the Cup, until Mark Hughes broke our hearts near the end of extra time. 'Although it went to a replay, we still climbed the 39 steps to the Royal Box after the first game to shake hands with the dignitaries, and when I turned towards the Palace fans I lifted the imaginary trophy in case I didn't get the chance to lift the real thing. 'Some people play the air guitar when they sing along to a favourite song - I lifted the air FA Cup. But it was a special moment in my life. A few years earlier I had been an apprentice electrician, getting up at five in the morning to wire plugs and change sockets. 'Nobody gave us a chance in our semi-final against Liverpool 36 years ago because they had annihilated us 9-0 in the League at Anfield, and most people will make City the favourites this time. Kevin de Bruyne is a special player, one of the best we've ever seen, but Palace can do some damage of their own with this squad. Ebs (Eberechi Eze) is such a class player, JP (Jean-Philippe Mateta) has been in fantastic form, and Ismaila Sarr has really come to the fore this year. And Adam Wharton in midfield is a cut above. He looks like he's been playing the game for years.' Thomas was a portrait of calmness as he followed manager Steve Coppell into the Wembley cauldron in 1990, souvenir pennant in folded in one hand and spinning a ball on his finger like a Harlem Globetrotter with the other. Coppell had referred Ian Wright to a faith healer, to try and accelerate his express recovery from a broken leg, and the livewire striker was fit enough to make the bench. 'They were chucking everything at Wrighty to try and get him fit,' said Thomas. 'When he came on with about 20 minutes to go, he was like a coiled spring. And when he put us 3-2 up, I really thought it was going to be our moment.' In the replay, a dour match settled by Lee Martin's winner for United, Palace wore banana-and-charcoal stripes - a one-off kit designed by Thomas as a throwback to his junior days. 'Steve was a bit superstitious about certain kits,' he revealed. 'We had lost heavily, somewhere like Everton, in our designated away strip - we didn't wear it again. 'It was our turn to wear away colours in the replay and it was my idea to come up with the 'bumble bee' look. Steve asked me what I thought we should do and I just chucked that idea out there, not thinking anything would come of it, but when we turned up at Wembley on the Thursday night the bumble bees were waiting for us.' After the Cup final, all roads lead to Paris for Thomas and his Tour21 crew. Like previous instalments of the ride, they are hoping to raise £1 million for blood cancer research charities. He had to abandon his mini-peloton in 2022 when the cobbled sections in northern France rattled his knees like cocktail shaker, but the hydrogel treatment has given him a fighting chance of avoiding the excruciating bone-on-bone trauma. If you've ever driven up Ventoux, the 'Beast of Provence', let alone cycled it, you'll know it's a steeper task than Oliver Glasner 's Eagles face against City. Come on, you Arthrosamid.
BBC News
27-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Runner to attempt 25 marathons in 25 days starting with London Marathon
A runner is attempting to complete 25 marathons in 25 days, starting with the London Marathon later, to raise money for people affected by Fletcher, 34, from Anlaby, said he wanted to help fund blood cancer care and research for patients like his mother, who has been receiving treatment for eight years."Cancer touches everyone in some way", Mr Fletcher said and hoped he could make a "real difference".He has been a dedicated runner since 2020 and will be covering 655 miles (1,054km) to raise funds and awareness for the charity Cure Leukaemia. Mr Fletcher has been using a high-calorie diet ahead of the challenge and will be consuming over 5,000 calories daily to sustain his energy said the toughest in the series of marathons is expected to be number 15, the Rob Burrow Marathon in Leeds, which has steep inclines. He said his motivation is also fuelled by the support of his family, friends, and the challenge, he said, wasn't just about running: "I'm pushing myself to the limits to raise money and awareness for a charity that gives people like my mum, hope", he said."My mum has been fortunate to benefit from a tablet based treatment with fewer side effect that traditional chemotherapy. She is currently in remission and that's all thanks to research charities like Cure Leukaemia."The challenge includes marathons in London, Newcastle, Manchester and Leeds and ends on 21 May at the Costello Stadium in to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
BBC News
08-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Ex-Wolves player Geoff Thomas prepares for seventh Tour De France
Ex-Wolves and England footballer Geoff Thomas is riding in his seventh Tour De France this summer to raise money towards clinical leukaemia retired player and former leukaemia sufferer will be part of a team to cycle the full 2,200-mile (3,540km) route across 21 days in June and challenge aims to raise £1m for Cure Leukaemia, with Thomas describing it as the "most gruelling" of his said: "I first did it in 2005, when I was six months in remission - if I could do it then, what's stopping me now?" Thomas, who lives in Worcestershire, received nine caps for the national team, but was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in 2003, a year after he subsequently raised millions of pounds for charity, became a patron of Cure Leukaemia and launched his own charity, The Geoff Thomas said if he could reach the finishing line in Paris in July, setting off a week before the pro riders, it would "eclipse anything" he had ever done on a football pitch. "I don't really think you can do enough training - it's about getting as many miles in your legs as possible, without fatiguing yourself," he said. "I'm just aiming to do the first day, knowing that you've got over 100 miles to do - you've got to survive that, and then take each day as it comes."He described reaching Paris on previous tours as "one of the most enjoyable experiences you can have". "It eclipses anything I ever did on a football pitch, and I was lucky enough to be involved in some great games - it's just a magical time." Thomas announced his decision to take part in the event at Worcestershire Royal Hospital, where he met current leukaemia patient Adam Claxton, 42, from Worcester. Mr Claxton said his own diagnosis the previous year had been "a complete shock"."I'm a football fan, and I remember Geoff as a player - his career was terrific, he had a great run on the pitch and to meet him off the pitch is an honour," he said. "What he's doing is inspirational." Dr Salim Shafeek, a consultant haematologist who previously treated Thomas at Worcestershire Royal, said he was "a real ambassador for people with leukaemia"."It's unbelievable what he's been doing for clinical research over the last 20 years," he added. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
