Cramlington man to lose weight for Sir Bobby
A Cramlington man is aiming to "lose a Kylie" to raise money for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.
John Cole, 53, and his friend Mark Simons have a combined weight of over 41 stone and need to lose weight.
Now they are being sponsored to shed the pounds, with John aiming to lose what he believes to be Kylie Minogue's body weight: six stone 11.
John said: "I have had over 30 treatments for skin cancer and I lost my mother to lung cancer in 1993 so I'm very aware of the devastating impact the disease can have.
"I think Sir Bobby has tackled his cancer like a terrier, with strength and determination, and Mark and I want to do what we can to help his charity.
"It was a real shock when I realised that I was carrying the equivalent of the lovely Miss Minogue in excess body weight. We believe she weighs six stone 11 so Mark and I are measuring our weight loss in 'Kylies' - I need to lose one 'Kylie' and Mark needs to lose half a 'Kylie'."
The pair aim to achieve their goal weights by giving up their beer and pork scratchings, saying that the example set by former Newcastle United manager Sir Bobby Robson will spur them on.
John says: "My doctor has been beating me about the head with a stethoscope to lose weight for ages. I've tried before and failed but this time I have Sir Bobby for inspiration and I don't want to let him down.
"Our 'Kylie' challenge will not be easy but we will put our heart and souls into it. I may even have to change my route home to avoid the temptation of beer in my local."
The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation has already raised enough money to set up a Cancer Trials Research Centre in Newcastle, which will treat patients from across the region from January 2009.
The charity is initially focusing on the early detection and treatment of cancer and will also help support clinical trials of promising new treatments to tackle the disease. It is currently working with regional cancer projects to identify priority need for funding.
To sponsor John and Mark visit www.justgiving.com/johncole1.
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