A man with a shock stage 4 prostate cancer diagnosis is set to embark on 500-mile tractor road trip to raise awareness of the disease among the farming community.
Former military armed forces and NHS paramedic Andrew Gibson, aged 58, will also use the mammoth trip to raise vital funds for cancer research.
In April 2020, after experiencing ‘twinges’ for some time, Andrew collapsed while refereeing a rugby match.
Shortly afterwards he was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer and was given just two years to live.
Today, over four years later and having undergone extensive treatment including chemotherapy and precision radiotherapy, he knows he’s on borrowed time.
Yet rather than slowing down, Andrew has pledged to plough on and is set to embark on a 500-mile solo road trip on a Demonstrator T6/T7 tractor.
He wants to raise awareness around the importance of ‘harvesting your prostate health’ among the farming community and raising funds for Prostate Cancer UK in the process.
Research shows people living in rural areas - and farmers in particular - are less likely to engage in preventative health measures, including cancer screenings.
This is due to many reasons, but one key factor is that many farmers simply prioritise work over personal health.
Andrew sets off from the Badminton Estate on 17 September, on a journey through the English countryside arriving at Hoghton Tower, near his former Ambulance Station in Chorley, Lancashire.
The following day he will drive the return leg, finishing at the Bristol GenesisCare outpatient cancer centre where he has been receiving treatment since his diagnosis.
Talking about his inspiration behind the tractor road trip, Andrew says: “I took my health for granted. Even when I started to feel the odd twinge, stiffness and pain it was put down to leading a highly active lifestyle – something I now know was a big, missed opportunity, which has cost me dearly.
"I’m determined to spend the time I’ve got left to spread the word to the highly active farming community not to dismiss the aches and pains and to harvest your prostate health.
"Listen to your body, understand the signs and symptoms and stay vigilant. If my story can help others to recognise or question their own symptoms and get tested, then I’ll be delighted.
“I’ve been a fit and active man all my life. I was a non-professional rugby referee for 34 years and served in the military, but those days are behind me.
"When I decided I wanted to set myself a fundraising challenge I had to think outside the box. I can’t run marathons or climb mountains anymore.
"But I do love a road trip and as a country boy at heart there’s nothing more exciting to me than riding a tractor."
Andrew is accepting donations via his JustGiving page, with a goal set for £20,000.
