A bespoke sledge has been commissioned in memory of Darlington cancer campaigner Viv Pow. County Durham craftsman Malcolm Rolling, who has made sledges for future King Prince George and Princess Charlotte, took on the order and got to work. He explained how it had a special meaning to him as he is a cancer survivor himself.
Malcolm has now made nearly 15,000 sledges for various causes. (Image: Kevin Creaghan) Viv Pow was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2012 and within months of completing chemotherapy she was running the Yorkshire marathon. Just years later, while she had a stoma in, she took on the Rome Marathon.
She said at the time: "It was a little point I wanted to prove – that having a stoma doesn’t stop you living your life." Viv focused on the Darlington park run to help fundraise for cancer research. When she could no longer take part herself she cheered others on from the sideline.
In honour of their fundraising efforts, Viv and Tracy were chosen as ambassadors for the Darlington Race For Life. In June 2021, Viv was told her bowel cancer had reached stage four, and she was given two years to live. Her defiant response was to launch 'Viv’s Positivity POWer Run and Walk' in South Park, and she was "blown away" by the support she received for the inaugural event in 2022.
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