Former Newcastle Knights player Mark Hughes has had his fair share of hurdles when it comes to keeping up his love of footy. He’s endured serious injuries such as a broken ankle, knee reconstruction and shoulder reconstruction, but none of these had the same mental and physical impact as being diagnosed with brain cancer in 2013.
“After I was diagnosed, my wife Kirralee and I formed the Mark Hughes Foundation (MHF) to fight against brain cancer and raise money to put towards research to find a cure,” Mark explained.
Mark and Kirralee have focused on creative and active ways to get the community onboard with their cause. That includes fundraising through MHF Treks: in 2017 this was Everest Base Camp, one of the world’s most majestic and terrifying mountains and a 120 kilometre hike to reach the summit with an altitude of 5545m. And in 2019, Mark and the team took on Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain and the highest ‘free standing’ mountain in the world with an altitude of 5895m.
But he'll be the first to admit these treks don’t ‘just happen’.
“I do a lot of training and preparation and need a strong mind and body to get through the extreme conditions.”
"I have always trained extremely hard and at the Knights, the culture there was to train hard and push each other. Still to this day I train most mornings along with a lot of my former team mates, some who have also done the treks with me.”
Fuelling his body for success also includes healthy choices in all parts of his day.
“I find when I’m feeling healthy and fit, I can tackle most problems and get through them. You have more energy in the day to get things done."
"Every morning I have Juice Plus+, a spoonful of Vitamin C powder and a glass of water. I also make good choices with food whilst still treating myself every now and then.”
And it doesn’t stop there, Mark has some advice that anyone of any age or fitness level can take onboard:
“You must believe in yourself and be present in each day. We can’t change our past, but we can change what happens tomorrow.”
This is something he lives out every day with his charity and isn’t planning on stopping anytime soon.
“I am very proud to have raised over 20 million dollars. We have achieved so much so far from our specialised Brain Cancer Care Coordinator Nurses, Brain Cancer Biobank and funded many research projects. We are only able to do this from the generous donations we receive plus from our major fundraising events like our Beanie Campaign along with the NRL Beanie Round, MHF Treks and the MHF Ball.”
"We have a small team and rely heavily on our wonderful volunteers to help us out from packing beanies to data entry and couldn’t do it without them.”
Mark did have one final invitation to share with us, knowing the strength of community and that the fight isn’t over.
“We still have so much more to do to find a cure for brain cancer and can’t do it without our amazing supporters. I personally would love to have you join our tribe if you haven’t already done so.”
If you’d like to support Mark on his journey, check out the Mark Hughes Foundation.
Please note: Vitamin supplements should not replace a balanced diet. Please read the label and use only as directed. Steve is a customer and has received a thank you gift for sharing his story.
