Fraser ‘Frazzle’ Tomlinson is a living example of just how important the work we do at Anthony Nolan really is.
Fraser had a stem cell transplant in 2012. Now he feels like he’s got a second chance at life, and is determined to give something back.
That’s why he decided to take on 1,000km cycle ride from Rotterdam to Berlin with seven friends, raising £1,500 to help us get more on people on the register and save more lives.
What made him take on such a taxing challenge?
As Frazer said, ‘Without your work I wouldn't be here, so it’s the very least I can do.’
We feel he has gone above and beyond in his efforts to bring Anthony Nolan and our lifesaving work into the Rampenlicht – or in English, spotlight.
Fraser, along with his team Rich 'The Pole' Smolenski, Drew 'Party McGrew' McLaughlin, Joe 'Ze German' Dreimann, Liam 'Granddad' McLennan, Alex 'Bacon' Rolls, Adam 'As fast as a' Carr, and Jon 'The Doctor' Perkin, cycled 1000km through the winding roads of Rotterdam though to Berlin.
The team reach the Brandenburg gate in Berlin
It took them 42 hours, 33 minutes and 9 seconds, burning an average of 16,352 calories each.
And how did they achieve this? Well, apparently the vital intake of around 637 & ¾ beers and sausages helped. And then there was the help of the trusty drivers/support team/dinner ladies: Keith Jackson & Jonathan Dillon.
Frazer takes us through his highlights of the challenge in The Frazzle Files
It took until Day 4 before we suffered our first puncture – goes to show the quality of the surfaces over there!
We had a daily 'competition' to win the honour of wearing the Decathlon yellow jersey. The winner each day was voted for by the group for such achievements as 'Falling Into A Pile Of Overgrown Nettles' and the classic ‘Not Unclipping In Time At The Lights'.
There was a lone German cyclist who was riding a similar route to us on what we could only describe as a Boris bike. We both played catch-up over a few days and to our surprise we kept bumping into each other. We called him Boris!
We took a stop in a little East German village called Aken for some cake and coffee along the way. We were served by a delightful local lady who included a free German sausage for us all.
We also happened upon a choir of veteran Dutch sailors performing some traditional navy sing-along classics at a street festival. The locals looked about as bemused as we were to see a group of English lycra-clad cyclists joining in!
One of the nicest moments was being served possibly the best schnitzel I have ever tasted by a very amusing waiter/barman. He was amazed to find out our story and gave us a round of beers on the house, took a picture of us and made this touching post on Facebook [translation below!]:
We hear about charity challenges on Facebook all the time. But imagine my surprise when into our little local strolled six charming Brits, out for the day on their bikes.
We got chatting and it turned out they weren’t just making the most of our local roads but cycling all the way from Rotterdam to Berlin to help in the fight against leukaemia. I asked what had made them choose to take on this long journey?
It all started when Fraser Giles Tomlinson was diagnosed with blood cancer and thankfully made an excellent recovery. So as friends, with a simple gesture of solidarity, they set out to change the a little part of the world and make it a better place. Sometimes many small drops are very effective in the ocean! All the best on the rocky road to Berlin, boys! If you see them, buy them a beer, they’re thirsty!’
Take on your own fundraising challenge
If Frazzle and his friends have inspired you to take on your own challenge to help raise awareness and much-needed funds for Anthony Nolan, call our team on 0303 303 0303 or email us at community@anthonynolan.org to find out more.
Thank you so much to Fraser and everyone who supported you; the pleasure really is all ours and we are so very grateful for your support!