Blake, is 15 years old and will be taking on The Longest Day for the second time this year at Dunheved Golf Club. This is his message to Longest Day participants and supporters.
I’ve been playing golf for 11 years now (I started when I was 4!) My dad has always played socially, and he took me to a kid's clinic at his local club, that’s when I got hooked. I really like it and have gotten pretty good - I now play off a handicap of 1.
Why I'm doing The Longest Day again this year
The reason I’m taking on the ultimate golf challenge is because I’ve had family close to me directly impacted by cancer. I lost my Nan to lung cancer, my uncle to prostate cancer, and my Pop now has prostate and skin cancer.
I want to raise awareness of the importance of being Sun Smart, especially because 2 in 3 Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime. As someone that is outside a lot with friends and has sensitive skin, I think it’s important to know how to protect our skin from the sun.
Cancer affects so many people, young and old, which is why fundraising is so important, and I want to raise as much money as I can for research. Hopefully with the support of organisations such as Cancer Council, we’ll find a cure.
I know completing 72 holes in one day will be hard, but Dad and I have been preparing, we’ve walked around the course (which is 5km) a few times and have been playing lots of holes after school. It will all be worth it when I complete the challenge and I can’t wait to see how much I can raise to help people like my pop. Thanks for letting me share my story with you and a big thanks to you too for taking on this epic challenge!
Good luck with your prep and fundraising!
My top tip is to let your friends know your reason for taking on the challenge and ask them to support you.
I'm sharing this tile to my Facebook to help raise awareness of skin cancer.
