The son of former England captain Emlyn Hughes, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour 15 years ago, has raised more than £2,000 to help find a cure for the disease.
Emlyn Hughes Junior, the son of Emlyn Hughes OBE, the former captain of England and Liverpool FC, teamed up with a group of friends to scale the Yorkshire Three Peaks in support of the Brain Tumour Research charity.
The event, on Saturday 27th July, marked 15 years since the celebrated player’s diagnosis with glioblastoma, an aggressive type of brain tumour. One of Britain’s most famous and inspirational sportsmen, who went on to forge a successful TV career and was known to many through his role on BBC’s A Question of Sport, Emlyn endured two operations and radiotherapy. He passed away at his home in Sheffield in November 2004 at the age of 57.
Dubbed the Crazy Horse because of the way he charged around the football field, Emlyn won two European Cups, an FA Cup, five championships, and was Footballer of the Year. He made his final appearance for England in 1980, the last of 62 appearances for his country with 23 as captain.
Emlyn Junior, who was 28 when his dad died, said: “It seems extraordinary to think that it’s 15 years since we lost Dad. He never complained and tried his best to be his normal positive self. It is unbearable to think that brain tumours affect so many people and that treatment options remain so limited.
“I wanted to do something to remember Dad and also to raise awareness of this devastating disease.”
Together with a group of friends, Emlyn Junior, who lives in Derbyshire and works in the motor trade in Glossop, climbed Yorkshire’s highest three peaks for his “Dynamo Kebab” challenge, which was named to highlight the fact that he’s not as fit as he might be! The team covered 25.2 miles with 58,690 steps and climbed the equivalent of 378 floors.
“It was a really, really tough challenge and not something I will ever do again!” he said. “It was a great achievement though and I hope Dad would be proud.”
Andrea Pankiw, Community Fundraising Manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “We are very grateful to Emlyn and his fellow walkers for their support. Their event has raised £2,250 so far. Brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age. What’s more, they kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.”
