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The Clinical Director of The Beatson is planning to lift 10,000kg over 10 consecutive days next month to fundraise £10,000 for Beatson Cancer Charity.
Ioanna Nixon will be taking on the challenge at Pure Gym in Shawlands, starting on 10th June.
The challenge comes during Beatson Cancer Charity’s 10th birthday celebrations, as it marks a decade of impact on cancer patients and their families across the west of Scotland and beyond.
WATCH: Ioanna Nixon's weightlifting challenge for Beatson Cancer Charity
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Ioanna said: “For Beatson Cancer Charity’s big anniversary, I plan to lift 10,000kg over 10 consecutive days starting on 10th June to fundraise £10,000.
“I will be taking on the challenge at Pure Gym in Shawlands and I train with ‘Big Matt’. He's a power lifter and he will be assisting me to train for the challenge and the delivery of the challenge.”
Ioanna says the weightlifting element of her challenge comes from the symbolic way in which patients see cancer.
She continued: “A lot of my patients describe cancer as heavy lifting and the whole journey as heavy lifting for themselves and others.
“This is a metaphor showing that heavy lifting is part of the journey for everybody involved and my challenge symbolises the fact that I am here to support and lift when somebody else cannot cope. This is what we do day in and day out as cancer doctors.”
PICTURED: Ioanna Nixon outside The Beatson
Ioanna is fundraising for Beatson Cancer Charity following the support she sees first hand from the organisation in her position as Clinical Director at The Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre.
Ioanna said: “There is a strong partnership and synergy between The Beatson and Beatson Cancer Charity, so as Clinical Director of The Beatson, I'm trying to do my best to not only raise awareness around cancer, but also show my support and the gratitude I feel for the support my patients and research and innovation projects receive from the charity.”
Ioanna has so far raised over £2,000 and hopes to reach the £10,000 target by the time she has completed her challenge
She added: “All the money will go to Beatson Cancer Charity which does a fantastic job supporting patients and families. If we look around, I'm sure we will all realise that cancer is incredibly common, it’s everybody’s business and sadly if we look at our own environment, network and family, we probably will have somebody who has had cancer.
“It's important to support the cause of Beatson Cancer Charity which supports patients and carers.”
Charlene Low, regional fundraising manager at Beatson Cancer Charity, said: “We are so pleased to have Ioanna’s support with this amazing challenge she is taking on for our charity.
“Ioanna is choosing to fundraise for us because of the impact our charity has on services, research and patients at The Beatson, which she sees firsthand in her role.
“The money raised by Ioanna will go towards supporting and developing these services even further and supporting more research initiatives in the future.”
You can support Ioanna with her challenge by donating here.
