King Charles has been hailed for his surprise visit to a local Sandringham charity parkrun, which “meant the world” to a support group.
The monarch cheered on participants over the weekend and spoke with local members of Move Against Cancer’s 5K Your Way (5KYW) group.
Dr Lucy Gossage, an oncologist and co-founder of 5KYW, said the King’s support has helped change the public’s perception of what it means to live with cancer and has shown the importance of exercise for patients with the condition.
She said: “As co-founder, I feel really humbled that, you know, there are thousands of different support groups, and the fact that he has identified with one of ours.
King Charles has been hailed for his surprise visit | PA
“We know he (the King) loves fresh air and community and being outside, and maybe of all the cancer support groups, this is one that just resonated with him.
“I was in the Nottingham group, so I had no idea (he had visited) until I got home. Literally, my phone had gone mental.
“I guess for the people there it was pretty amazing, but actually for the charity as a whole, I think we just feel really grateful that the King has chosen to talk about the work that we do, because we know what we do makes a difference.”
Dr Gossage added: “We know what we do changes lives, and to have someone with such a huge platform advocate for us means the world.”
The King engaged with local runners
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PAThis marked the second year in a row that Charles surprised the Sandringham 5KYW group at his Norfolk estate, just before World Cancer Day on February 4.
The Royal Family’s Instagram account also posted photographs of the King waving at the runners and greeting participants to promote the charity’s work.
The charity responded to Charles’s visit in an Instagram post of their own, which read: “Almost speechless again!
“A heartfelt thank you to His Majesty The King for greeting us on the first lap of Parkrun in the beautiful setting of the Sandringham estate this morning.
The monarch surprised runners for the second year in a row
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PA
“The sun was shining and lots of people were able to enjoy taking a moment, sharing their stories, and chatting with others as they navigated the course.”
The 5KYW group participates in parkrun events on the last Saturday morning of each month, inviting anyone affected by cancer to walk, jog, run, cheer, or volunteer at over 120 parkrun events across the UK and Ireland.
Dr Gossage said: “I think the other thing that the King is probably doing is changing the perception of what it is to live with cancer, and that’s something we really tried to do at Move Against Cancer.
“A lot of our communities are living with cancer that’s probably not curable, but you can still live a really good-quality life.
His Majesty’s appearance ‘meant the world’ to the runners
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PA“And I guess the King is doing that: he’s continuing working, despite a cancer diagnosis.
“And that’s probably a really positive thing, something certainly that resonates with what we try to do at Move Against Cancer.”
Dr Gossage noted that cancer research indicates exercise of any kind is among the best things someone with a cancer diagnosis can do to feel better and enhance their outcomes.
She explained: “We challenge the myth that rest is best, because actually the evidence is really powerful that it’s better to be active than it is to be inactive for everyone with a cancer diagnosis of all stages, and all kind of cancer types and all ages.
“So if you know someone living with, or after cancer, don’t wrap them in cotton wool, but support them to move.”