'A shock to the system' why Richard wants to raise awareness of male breast cancer

Click above to watch a video report by ITV News Anglia's Sarah Cooper

A man from Cambridgeshire is using his passion for water-sports to raise awareness about male breast cancer.

Richard Edwards was diagnosed with male breast cancer 2 years ago.

In 2019 he had a mastectomy - followed by months of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Richard is a keen lover of water sports Credit: Richard Edwards

He's still on medication - but two year's on he's back at Grafham Water and he's not letting it stop him getting out on the water. 

Richard is also hoping to raise money for the cancer unit where he was treated Credit: ITV News Anglia

"That's what drives me, that's what has got me to where I am today. The one thing about having cancer is you need a focus, whatever that is you need something to focus on and without that you're kind of dwelling on things that you don't want to be dwelling on."

Richard is hosting a water sports event at Grafham Water next month to raise awareness about male breast cancer.

The fundraising event is being held on August 18 Credit: ITV News Anglia

"No matter what you're faced with, if you're lucky and you can fight this thing, there's always something else at the end of the tunnel, I want to encourage people to get out there and also, with cancer patients you leave that little bubble - the cancer unit after all your treatment and it's like, where do I go from here? There'll be people hopefully down here who'll be in exactly the same situation, who will want talk to others and probably know them, because they've met them at treatment, so it's kind of getting people together as well as going out on the water."

He also hopes to raise money for the Hinchingbrooke cancer unit where he was treated and to prove to others that - if you're lucky - you can lead an active life after cancer.

  • For more information about male breast cancer click here