Nathaniel Dye is traversing the length of the UK for charity
If you are to admire anyone, make it Nathaniel Dye. A 38-year-old teacher-turned-adventurer from London, Dye was given the news that nobody wants to hear from their doctor two years ago: ‘You have cancer’.
Having started to suffer from abdominal pains and a change in his bowel habits in March 2022, Dye was told at the point of diagnosis – just a few months later in September – that he would be lucky to live beyond the five-year mark. When presented with this news, Dye could have given up. But instead? He kept going – with even more gusto than before.
A keen runner and trombone player, he was determined to get the best out of his body while raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support – the charity that continues to support him and thousands of others living with cancer in the UK – along the way. As such, he created his very own Bowel Cancer Bucket List, where he could bring together his fundraising efforts and, indeed, log the incredible adventures that he’s been longing to do for years.
‘I may be dying, but for now, I choose to live and show the world through words and deeds that it’s possible to live a full life post-diagnosis,’ says Dye.
And the wheels are already in motion. In April 2024, Dye – RW’s very own cover star for that month – raised £29,000 when he ran the London Marathon while playing his beloved green trombone. Before that, the stage 4 cancer sufferer spent a summer running up and down mountains in the Alps to raise vital funds to help others in need.
And now, Dye is part-way through his challenge to cover the whole length of mainland UK – from John O’Groats in Caithness, Scotland, to Land’s End in Cornwall, England – on his two feet.
With his colostomy bag in hand, and combing running with walking, Dye is averaging 20 miles a day – a huge distance to cover on new and often testing trails and pathways. He set off from John O’Groats on Saturday 13 July and is, as such, making great progress on his epic, point-to-point journey that has diversely involved painful shin splints, unforgettable kindness from others, wild weather and top-tier fuel from local cafes, restaurants and homes.
Despite the challenges that Dye has faced on this adventure so far, it is, still, a beautifully simple and joyous endeavour – and an escape from the reality of his diagnosis. For Dye, it has offered an unbeatable sense of freedom. For others – especially those with cancer – it has offered a beacon of positivity.
Dye is determined to do extraordinary things for as long as he can, even if they may seem modest at the time. ‘It’s nice to have the freedom while having something to follow,’ says Dye, reflecting on the tough but soothingly metronomic nature of his John O’Groats to Land’s End quest so far. ‘All you’ve got to do is move this way until you have to stop. Life becomes incredibly simple, and sometimes even I forget everything that’s going on. That I’ve got cancer. I forget the world is happening out there.
‘I mean, each day obviously has its stresses, with logistics and finding somewhere to stay, trying not to get lost on paths and finding your way through wind, rain, mist and hot temperatures,’ continues Dye, who has employed a comprehensive guidebook, multiple GPX files and the help of friends and strangers to navigate his way each day. ‘But, you know, I’ve been through all sorts of things – and it’s like they haven’t been there.
‘It’s a case of using my body while it’s still healthy. I just have this need to try hard every day, for as many days as I possibly can. People ask me this all the time: “Why are you doing this?” My body let me do this. I’m just grateful for it – and that’s a gift. I just think that if I can, I will.’
While Dye notes that he has lost a lot of fitness due to his cancer treatment, there’s still enough in him, physically and mentally, to get him to the end of each day. But what about the big finish line in Land’s End – the point at which Dye completes his challenge and looks ahead to what’s next?
‘It’s strange what you come to miss,’ says Dye, contemplating his UK adventure and what will succeed it. ‘I’d really like to go for a standard and uneventful 10K training run on familiar local roads, without having to look at my feet or worry about navigation and without a huge pack!’
Dye’s accomplishments and ambitions are heroic, involving challenges that many people in full health would not even contemplate, let alone attempt. To donate to Dye’s cause, please visit his JustGiving page.
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