Image credit – Sarah Williams-Gardener
Two well-respected business leaders from Wales have completed the Sea to Summit Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) challenge in north Wales and raised over £6,000 for Business Beats Cancer Cymru, in aid of Cancer Research UK. Sarah Williams-Gardener is co-chair of Business Beats Cancer Cymru as well as chair of Fintech Wales, and she joined forces with Louise O’Shea, CFC’s group chief executive officer to form a wider team who together cycled 16km, hiked 16km and kayaked 4km to reach the summit in one day.
Blessed with kind weather, they were rewarded with stunning views from the summit of Yr Wyddfa, and all money raised from this challenge will help fund the lifesaving Cancer Research UK projects already taking place across Wales. The board of directors who manage Business Beats Cancer Cymru raised over £55k back in November during their first gala dinner event hosted at the Principality Stadium, and the next gala event is pencilled in for Thursday 6 February 2025.
Image credit – Sarah Williams-Gardener
Sarah said of the challenge: ‘Having survived this indiscriminate disease myself, I hope to inspire those currently going through treatment that there are more adventures to be enjoyed… The money we’ve raised will fund leading-edge research across Welsh projects, ultimately helping more people survive and thrive.
‘Undertaking a challenge such as the Sea to Summit gave us a focus point; it’s not something you can just rock up and do – well not at my age! It encouraged me to get out in the weeks before to undertake some training and we all know that keeping ourselves fit and healthy and with purpose is beneficial both physically and mentally,’ she continued. ‘Undertaking a challenge with friends means you’re not alone, you have fun, and there are people there to encourage you. The overall motivation from a personal perspective was not only about keeping myself physically and mentally fit, but it was also about being a role model and showcasing that there is life after [cancer]. I know that I want to continue showing that want, to give hope to others.’
‘For me personally, this was a warmup act, as in October I will be climbing the Himalayas alongside Rebecca Stevens (the UK’s youngest female to conquer Everest) and we will be celebrating 100 years since George Mallory set out to climb Everest. Just to be clear I’m not planning on going to the top, I’ll be walking the first part of his original trip. This is a personal bucket list challenge, having climbed Kilimanjaro in October 2014,’ Sarah concluded.
Image credit – Sarah Williams-Gardener
Meanwhile, Sarah’s fellow Business Beats Cancer Cymru board member Alan Jones (AGJ Accountants) recently teamed up with founding chair Richard Selby (Pro Steel Engineering) and Jon Saunders (Crack On Coaching) on the Big Hike in Bannau Brycheiniog, where they walked a full marathon, and Alan has already surpassed his own fundraising goal of raising £500 by hitting £765.
Sophie Busson, Business Beats Cancer Cymru’s relationship manager for Cancer Research UK said: ‘We are so grateful to Sarah, Alan, and all the Business Beats Cancer Cymru board members for everything they are doing to raise vital funds for Cancer Research UK’s life-saving research happening right here in Wales. The future is bright for this fantastic board, and having already raised an incredible amount of money at their first gala dinner event, I know that their impact within the business community to raise awareness and funds for research will only continue to grow. A huge thank you from everyone at Cancer Research UK for your continued and much-needed support.’
Image credit – Alan Jones
For more information about Business Beats Cancer Cymru, please visit: cancerresearchuk.org/get-involved/volunteer/help-us-raise-money/business-beats-cancer/business-beats-cancer-cymru
Stats for Wales
- Around 19,800 people in Wales are diagnosed with Cancer each year.
- Around 9000 people die from cancer in Wales each year.
- Cancer Research UK spent £4m on research in Wales in 22/23.
- Cancer deaths in Wales have fallen by a tenth in the last 10 years.
- Cardiff is also home to the Centre for Trials Research Cancer Unit, which delivers innovative and practice-changing clinical research. This impacts the care and outcomes for cancer patients in the UK and across the world.