Marathon man raises $520k for charity

After three months and 12,500km of cycling, kayaking and running his way around
Australia, Craig Goozee has triumphantly returned home having raised more than
$520,000 to battle children's cancer.
Goozee lost his first child Jessica to an aggressive and rare form of bone cancer
when she was nine years old, and said he was compelled to contribute to the cause in
any way he could.
"Just seeing what she went through, and what many other kids were going through, I
felt as though I should do something," Mr Goozee said.
"Jessica's never going to come back and we can't do anything about that now, but we
can do something about the future."
Known as A2B4C (Australia Square to Bennelong Point for Kids Cancer), it's the third
fundraising effort the 45-year-old former policeman has embarked upon.
Despite the physical challenges, Goozee said being away from his wife Lisa and four
children had been the hardest part.
He said it was impossible to underestimate the emotional stress cancer puts on a
family, noting that staying together and connected is key.
"(You've got to) take a positive out of a negative and just take it one step at a
time," Goozee said.
Every year 600 Australian children are diagnosed with a form of cancer, and although
survival rates are around 70 per cent, a staggering three children are claimed by
the disease every week.
For those who do recover, the side effects from chemotherapy and other treatments
can have life-long effects.
All the funds raised will go to the Children's Cancer Institute of Australia (CCIA),
an organisation that conducts research into the causes and treatment of children's
cancer.
"The sole purpose of the institute is to conduct world-class research on the causes,
better treatment, safer treatment, and ultimately cure and prevention of childhood
cancer," said CCIA executive director, Professor Michelle Haber.
Recently there have been promising advances in the treatment of childhood cancer,
with Australian laboratories taking huge steps forward in refining chemotherapy
beyond what Prof Haber labelled the "blunt instrument" it is now.
"We're looking at much more targeted therapy, specifically killing the cancer cells
and sparing the normal tissue," she said.