Cancer survivors finish 2000 mile sail in aid of The Urology Foundation

Alan Sinfield and his wife Geraldine finish 2000 mile sailing journey © The Urology Foundation

Alan Sinfield and his wife Geraldine finish 2000 mile sailing journey © The Urology Foundation

Alan Sinfield and his wife Geraldine finish 2000 mile sailing journey © The Urology Foundation

A couple who were recently diagnosed with cancer have completed an epic 2,000 mile journey around Britain to raise money for charity.

Alan Sinfield and his wife Geraldine piloted a 34-foot Bavaria yacht called Tante Helena around the mainland in a challenge which took three months.

It is a challenge made all the more heroic as Alan was diagnosed with prostate cancer and testicular cancer just last year. Earlier this year Geraldine was diagnosed with bladder cancer.

Their diagnoses were all the more upsetting as Alan lost his first wife Wendy to cancer in 2002 and Geraldine's first husband Ian also died from the disease four years later.

While they helped each other through their grief, the couple fell in love.

The couple, from Polebrook, set sail from Shotley Marina, near Ipswich, on June 3. They cooked, ate and slept on their vessel in a trip which tested them to the limit. They stopped at more than 40 destinations for supplies in a feat of endurance they had never experienced before.

Alan, 71, said: "It has been a tremendous experience – exhilarating, difficult, challenging and exciting. I keep thinking: 'Have I really just done that?' "

Highlights included a 100mile overnight trip to the Humber where the boat was greeted by hundreds of curious seals, a visit to Whitby where Alan enjoyed fish and chips at the famous Magpie and a marina in Inverness where the yacht attracted the attention of twelve dolphins who swam alongside it for an hour.

"It was a real highlight to see the dolphins dancing round the boat and playing chicken with us. I also loved seeing the seals and even spotted some porpoises," said Alan.

"We have had such wonderful welcomes. Everyone we have spoken to has been interested in our story and some of the marinas have waived mooring fees in place of donations."

"This trip tested my navigation skills to their limit and was challenging. It has been amazing really, but sad too as Geraldine has not been well and was unable to accompany me for as much of the journey as we had hoped."

The past 18 months have been challenging for the couple, following their cancer diagnoses.

Alan discovered he had prostate cancer after noticing blood in his urine a few days before Christmas in 2012.

"I thought 'Whoa, what is that?'" he said. "I had examinations and scans before the doctor broke the news to me. Geraldine was with me and we were both expecting it but it was still a shock and very upsetting to be told: 'You have cancer.'

"My main concern was for Geraldine, not myself, because she had been through it all before with Ian, who fought non hodgkins lymphoma for 12 years. We had only been married for three years and there were so many things we wanted to do. It didn't seem fair.

"Of course it also brought back memories of my first wife Wendy. She was 57 when she died and we had been married for 37 years - our daughter Rebecca was 21 and half way through university when her mum died. It was a desperately difficult time for all of us."

Alan had a radical prostatectomy which proved successful and went on holiday to Greece with Geraldine to celebrate. But in October he found a lump in his left testicle.

"I couldn't believe it," said Alan. "I felt really angry and I didn't know what to expect. The reality was not as bad as the initial thoughts of what might change though."

Alan had an operation followed by chemotherapy. Treatment was successful and the couple thought they had put their ordeal behind them.

Then, in January this year, Geraldine was diagnosed with bladder cancer after spotting blood in her urine - a very common symptom.

Alan said: "She told me that she had found blood and that she was scared. Tests revealed she had a tumour in her bladder. It felt like one thing after another. We both wondered 'how much time do we have left together?' "

Geraldine had surgery and one dose of chemotherapy. Both will now be checked regularly to be sure the cancers have not returned. The couple say their ordeals have brought them even closer together.

Alan and Geraldine first met when they were married to their late spouses and the foursome became great friends.

When Wendy died it was Geraldine and Ian who helped Alan through some of his darkest days.

He said: "I knew what she was going through when Ian died and I tried to help her through it. Eventually our friendship turned into something more."

Alan said: "The research and training The Urology Foundation funds are absolutely vital. Its work also includes helping doctors communicate effectively with patients - the surgeon who dealt with me was not only one of the best there is but also has a real ability to communicate, not just with the patient but also family. The charity is funding research into exactly what happened to Geraldine and I - there could be no charity more relevant to us."

The boat's progress was plotted every step of the way at tantehelena.com

The couple have raised £4,000 for The Urology Foundation.

The Urology Foundation is the only charity in the UK that covers all urological conditions, including prostate, bladder, testicular and kidney cancer.

The Foundation funds research to develop better diagnoses and treatments of urological diseases and trains urology professionals in the latest techniques such as robotic laparoscopy.

The Foundation receives no Government funding and relies on donations to fund its work.

You donate at www.tantehelena.com to boost Alan and Geraldine's total, or find out more about The Urology Foundation at www.theurologyfoundation.org or call 0207 713 9538.