Two years after being diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer, Andy Spary crossed the finish line of the London Marathon in 3 hours and 25 minutes-his first-ever marathon.
The former semi-professional skater from Tunbridge Wells was diagnosed in 2024 after an MRI revealed a rare form of colon cancer in his buttocks. What doctors initially thought was an abscess linked to his Crohn's disease turned out to be malignant.
Despite an intensive treatment plan-including a stoma procedure, chemotherapy every two weeks, and five weeks of radiotherapy-Andy kept running.
“I’d have chemo on Wednesday, feel rotten by Friday, but after a few days it would wear off and I’d go running again,” he told Euronews Health.
Eleven months ago, he underwent major surgery to remove the cancer, including parts of his colon, rectum, and surrounding tissue, followed by reconstructive surgery. Within four months, he was back in running shoes, training for two half-marathons and the London Marathon.
A friend introduced him to Trekstock, a charity that encourages young cancer patients to exercise. Through Trekstock, Andy secured his marathon place and launched a GoFundMe that raised over £4,000.
Andy, a carpenter, wants to break the stigma around cancer. “There is still a big stigma around cancer and death, because in the past it was often a death sentence. But that shouldn’t be the case anymore,” he said, pointing to advances in treatments and higher recovery rates.
He urges others to watch for warning signs-pain, blood in stool, changes in bowel habits-and seek early detection. For Andy, beating cancer came down to mental resilience, a strong support network, trust in his medical team, and a mindset forged by recovering from serious skateboarding injuries, including a fractured skull.
Recovery from surgery can take up to 18 months, but after finishing the marathon, Andy said, “I feel like I’m pretty much there.”