'I survived throat cancer now I'm trekking 4,000 miles across the scorching Australian desert on a dirt bike for an important reason'

Steve Griffiths decided to take on the epic Australian coast-to-coast challenge last year to raise funds for Cancer Research UK after a friend was diagnosed with breast cancer.

But while planning the trip - which involves wild camping in the vicinity of deadly snakes and spiders - he was diagnosed with oropharyngeal cancer, a type of head and neck cancer which was growing around his tonsils.

The ambitious trek was postponed while Steve endured six weeks of intense chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment for up to ten hours at a time.

The treatment saw him lose five stone and severely damaged his salivary glands, leaving him with a permanently dry mouth and unable to swallow.

Steve, a 56-year-old former Peugeot rally driver, said: “Like most men, I just ignored it and thought I had an ulcer but eventually I decided to go and get a health check.

“Finding out was quite a shock and I had a few tears sitting in the car park afterwards but then I just decided to tell everyone and raise as much awareness as possible.

“Treatment saved my life, but recovery has been tough. I’ve had to learn to swallow again because radiotherapy damaged my salivary glands. 

"I don’t produce saliva like a normal person so swallowing is still difficult and I can’t eat without a large drink of water.

“That’s why it’s such a huge personal challenge and why I want to raise as much as I can to support research that will help find kinder treatments and save more lives."

Steve is funding his own trip to Brisbane on June 17 to join a five-strong team of riders taking part in the challenge, called ‘Kicking Cancer’s Ass Across Australia 2025’.

Before the 24-day dirt bike challenge can even begin, Steve will need to drive six days across the country with his friend - event organiser Martyn Southall - to help acclimatise to temperatures ranging from 0°C to 34°C, as well as deliver the bikes to the starting point near Perth.

Beginning at the Australian mainland’s westernmost location, Steep Point, the riders will make their way across the outback where they have special permission to cross Aboriginal territory to the continent’s most easterly point, Byron Bay near Brisbane.

Along the way they will need to watch out for camels and kangaroos that like to chase vehicles as well as deadly snakes, spiders and potentially even crocodiles.

He said: “The biggest challenge for me having a dry mouth in the heat will be the dust that’s kicked up, especially if we need to pass long lorry trains.

 “It’s the Australian winter, so it will be very hot in the day with all our biking gear on, and freezing at night. I’ll need to check my shoes each morning which I’m not used to so it will be quite an experience.

“I’m told that camels and kangaroos like to run alongside vehicles and play so that’s another really dangerous hazard we all need to be prepared for."

Steve, who was diagnosed at Russells Hall Hospital and given chemotherapy and radiotherapy at New Cross, hopes to raise an additional £10,000 for Cancer Research UK’s work to find kinder, better treatments for more than 200 types of cancers, including throat cancer.

He said: “Without research, I wouldn’t be here now.

 “I’m incredibly grateful for the amazing treatment I was given at both hospitals but I’m one of the lucky ones.

“I only got checked out by chance because I happened to go to the doctors for an MOT. 

"Now I want to do everything I can do to support better treatments for throat cancer and more awareness.”

Cancer Research UK is working towards a world where everybody can live longer, betterlives, free from the fear of cancer.

To support Steve visit https://www.gofundme.com/u/41d3e41e-e8e1-4aa3-8c37-e895569e1eb3.