Inspiration from rehabilitation
Neil Eden, 39, originally from Finchley but currently living in Australia, is competing in the INBA Sydney Championships, which is a physique modelling competition, on the 27th May to help raise vital funds for Pancreatic Cancer Action.
Neil is a personal trainer who specialises in rehabilitation and making a client’s quality of life as comfortable as possible.
The inspiration to raise money for the charity comes after one of his rehab clients sadly passed away from pancreatic cancer.
Neil says, “I have always challenged myself physically and mentally doing 10 marathons, an iron man competition, strongman events and power lifting recently achieving a 200kg deadlift myself, raising over £15,000 for charity.
I am currently taking on this challenge to achieve the impossible and turn myself from marathon runner to physique model.
My inspiration to raise money was from Larry Rees who I rehabbed for 4 years. I became very close with him and his wife Jenny.
He was very positive, even when suffering every day and showed me that nothing is impossible. I have Crohn’s disease but it’s nothing compared to pancreatic cancer!
He was an inspirational man to me who always stayed positive even at his lowest moment.”
Pancreatic Cancer is currently the UK’s fifth biggest cancer killer.
Pancreatic Cancer Action is committed to working towards earlier diagnosis of the disease so that surgery, currently the only cure, is made available to the sufferer. The charity fund research into early diagnosis, provide medical education programmes, and launch awareness campaigns.
Ali Stunt, Founder of Pancreatic Cancer Action, said, “it is so wonderful that Neil is taking on this tough challenge to help raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer Action and we are very grateful he has chosen to support us.”
“We were all very fond of Larry, and I was fortunate to have been able to get to know him personally. Even when he was undergoing treatment, he was still and avid advocate for the charity which was truly inspiring. He is greatly missed by me and my team at Pancreatic Cancer Action.”