It’s Feelgood Friday, And Almost Movember Too

In that spirit we give a shout out to Europcar and Mark Newberry;

This November, Europcar Transformation & Strategy Director, Mark Newberry, is upping his Movember game. Not only will he sport a distinctive ginger tache in true Movember fashion. He will also be running the equivalent of 4.5 marathons over the month (190km) to raise awareness and money. The running challenge, Project45, part of the annual Movember fundraising initiative, will support men’s health focus areas including mental health, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.

“This will be the third year I have raised money for Movember, and I wanted to do something bigger and better than just growing back the big, bushy ginger ‘tache,” Mark said. “I do some running, so I’m not starting from scratch. But I generally run around 20km per week and last ran a half marathon about 15 years ago. So I’m really pushing myself with this challenge.

“The Movember cause is close to my heart. I am a keen advocate of men’s health and open discussion about mental health. I have just turned 45, and that is the age at which prostate cancer becomes statistically the most common cancer among men, so now is the time to get serious and raise even more cash for this great cause.”

Why 45?

● Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men over 45.

● Since 2010, men aged 45 to 64 have had the highest suicide rates.

● It’s important for men to check themselves for testicular cancer around every 45 days.

● On average, men die 4.5 years earlier than women, often due to preventable causes.

During the challenge, Mark will take part in several organised running events, including the MoRun Half Marathon in Birmingham on 2nd November and a Leicester Tigers challenge on 21st November. He will run laps of the stadium during the Tigers’ biggest game of the season – against local rivals Northampton Saints.

Mark will conclude his mega Mo month running with colleagues to cross the finish line at the Europcar UK HQ in Leicester on 28th November.

“At some point in amongst all the pavement pounding, ‘tache grooming, work at Europcar, volunteering with a local charity and being part of busy family life at home, I will also get my own prostate checked,” added Mark. “This is an invaluable check, as one in six men are diagnosed with prostate cancer, and early detection is essential.

“Not enough men, their partners, families or friends are aware of the risk or how easy it is to identify early on. I hope to increase awareness, inspire men to get checked and raise a substantial amount to help continue the important work of the Movember movement.”

Anyone interested in popping their running trainers on during November can send Mark a message or a selfie to share their experience and show their support. Mark is also building a team for the Leicester Tigers MoRun and will be talking about men’s health issues in the Tigers Hospitality Centre ahead of the match.

Sponsor Mark here: https://uk.movember.com/donate/details?memberId=15342002

Track his progress here: linkedin.com/in/mark-newberry

Find out more about Movember here: https://uk.movember.com