A south London man is set to run a marathon in the Arctic sun to raise money for Guy’s Cancer Charity in memory of a friend who died of bowel cancer last year.
Ollie Nash, 27, met Chris Ramsey in 2023 working at Brentford Football Club, with Ollie working in the communications team and Chris the under 18s goalkeeping coach. As fellow Australians living in London, bonded by football and sharing long coach trips to away matches, Chris and Ollie became close friends.
Ollie said: “We both moved here far from home and having been here longer, Chris really helped me with the settlement period. It was nice to have someone know what it was like to be so far from home and he had a huge impact on me as a person as well.”
Chris moved to the UK in his early 20s, eventually settling in London with his wife Bianca. Then in 2021, aged 35 and working at Brentford Academy, Chris was diagnosed with bowel cancer.
Bianca said: “When Chris was diagnosed, we were devastated, but like everything Chris kept a positive attitude and took it in his stride. He knew he was getting the best care possible and just focused on staying healthy, being present and doing the work he loved at Brentford academy.”
Chris continued to work while receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy at Guy’s Cancer Centre, part of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. For a long time Chris’s colleagues, including Ollie, had no idea that Chris was being treated for cancer while working, with Chris being promoted to head of goalkeeper coaching at the Brentford FC academy in this time.
Ollie said: “He was always still out on the pitch training, helping the academy kids and giving everything to his job. He would go for treatment occasionally and then be right back on the pitch living his dream. He was such a calm, positive presence for all of us.”
Unfortunately, despite years of treatment by expert oncologists at Guy’s Cancer Centre, in 2025 Chris’s condition began to steeply decline and in October that year Chris died.
Sara Hulf, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Oncology Advanced Nurse Practitioner, who helped treat Chris, said:
“Having gone through bowel cancer myself I know how difficult it is, but Chris was so positive and bright and smiley. It was such a privilege being able to look after him.”
In the weeks that followed, Ollie knew he wanted to do something to honour Chris’s memory and help others going through Chris’s experience. Bianca suggested Ollie raise money for Guy’s Cancer Charity, who support cancer services at Guy’s and St Thomas’ through funding research, buying state of the art equipment and supporting staff to deliver world leading cancer care.
Ollie is running the Midnight Sun marathon in Tromsø, Norway on 20 June. Deep in the Arctic Circle, the marathon is taking place on the solstice when the sun in Tromsø doesn’t set. Only after deciding on this did Bianca tell him that not only had Chris run this same marathon years earlier, but it takes place during the week of Chris’s birthday.
“It’s really special to be able to do something that’s so connected to Chris to raise the money for Guy’s Cancer Charity and give something back to the people that helped Chris and Bianca so much over the last few years,” Ollie said.
With figures from Cancer Research UK showing that colorectal cancer rates have increased 22% in adults aged 25 to 49 since the early 1990s, compared to 6% in the overall population over that time, Bianca wants to see greater awareness in younger people of the disease.
She said: “Bowel cancer can affect anyone. Chris was active, fit and only 35 when he was diagnosed so it’s really important that people are aware of this disease and how it can affect them.”
Sara advises anyone with unusual weight loss, increased fatigue, persistent changes in bowel habits and abdominal discomfort to speak to their doctor.
With contributions from Brentford FC as well as public fundraising, Ollie has so far received over £9,500 in donations and is hoping to get that even higher ahead of the day in June. To donate to Ollie’s fundraiser, click here.
