OKEHAMPTON’S Alex Slater has thanked everyone who supported him in raising £1,200 for blood cancer research.

He recently cycled 100 miles in the Prudential Ride London-Surrey 100.

Alex took part in the cycle ride on August 4 to raise funds for blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan. He started training in January.

He took on the challenge for Anthony Nolan because his brother Nathan was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2015. Despite a poor initial prognosis, with a difficult fight, Nathan has now been in remission since 2016.

Alex said: ‘It was an amazing day and I felt like a pro cyclist riding through the closed streets of London in front of large crowds. Very memorable, I finished in 6h19m and I’m already signed up to do it all over again next year!

‘This is just to say thank you so much for all of your support. I’ll have raised an amazing £1,200 for Anthony Nolan which makes all the sweat, snot and freezing cold, early morning starts worth it.’

Alex was matched with a (non-related) recipient by Anthony Nolan in 2017 and in December of that year, provided lifesaving stem cells to a person in desperate need.

He said: ‘I’d actually forgotten I was on the bone marrow register. I provided a saliva sample to Anthony Nolan when I was a student years ago. It was such a quick process that I forgot all about it.

‘When I got the call from Anthony Nolan many years later in 2017 telling me I was potential match for somebody in need, I didn’t think twice about it.

‘How often do most people get the chance to save a life? I was a little bit worried about the process of donating but I really didn’t need to be. I was incredibly well looked after by Anthony Nolan from start to finish and the actual donation was no worse than donating blood, except it took a little bit longer.

‘Nowadays, donating bone marrow (stem cells) is such a simple and easy process but it can make the most profound difference to another person. I’d definitely encourage anybody to provide a sample to Anthony Nolan and potentially save a life.’

Alex expressed particular thanks to Okehampton Rugby Club, Stentorians Motorcycle Club, Phil Peskett Plumbing and his brother Nathan Slater.