Happy new year everyone!
I’m starting 2025 with a challenge I never thought I’d be able to achieve and it’s all to help raise money for life-saving research.
On each of January’s 31 days, I’m going to do 100 push-ups (or press-ups). That’s 3,100 in total, which is way more than I’ve done in the whole of my life so far.
The 100 Push-Ups a Day Challenge is set by Cancer Research UK, a charity that funds scientists, doctors and nurses to help beat cancer sooner.
In the last 50 years, the CRUK’s work has helped double cancer survival in the UK. So, who better to fundraise for and donate to?
Why I want to help beat cancer
Like a lot of families, mine has been affected by cancer in the past few years.
In 2022, my mum was diagnosed with ovarian cancer that could only be treated with immediate surgery.
Then last year, my father-in-law developed tonsil cancer and underwent a gruelling course of radiotherapy.
Thanks to excellent care from the NHS and the work of organisations like Cancer Research UK, both made a full recovery.
Years as a copywriter didn’t prepare me for this
100 push-ups a day isn’t easy, but it’s manageable so far.
My trick is to spread them out into sets of 10 throughout a couple of hours. (This isn’t cheating, I checked.)
100 at once would be impossible for me at the moment – writing copy all day doesn’t exactly build up the shoulder muscles.
But who knows, maybe I’ll be sailing through them by the 31st.
The hardest day so far
The first day was surprisingly painless. I took a little break between each set, and my determination took me slowly through each set.
But the second day? Oh man. Every single push-up was a struggle. My shoulders were crying “stop, we’re still trying to recover from yesterday’s punishment!”
Since then, it’s gotten a little bit easier every day.
And I’m hoping to impress my wife with bigger arm muscles by the end of the month!
Help me reach my fundraising target
If you’d like to donate to Cancer Research UK and support me as I grind through 100 push-ups every day in January, I have a special fundraising page over at the charity’s website.
Any amount is appreciated, from 10p to £10. So, please click below to donate and help beat cancer.
Support my 100 Push-Ups a Day Challenge for Cancer Research UK
