A 39-year-old man from Crosskeys is taking on the Barry Island 10K as part of his cancer battle.

He’ll also be doing so to raise money for the event’s lead charity, Cancer Research Wales.

Stewart Seaborne, who has just completed a Marketing master’s degree, is currently battling testicular cancer.

After beating the disease in 2025, Stewart was devastated to find that the cancer had returned in January this year. He’s now about to undergo treatment but is determined to take on the race to raise money for the charity.

Stewart said: “When I first found a lump in January 2025, I wasn’t too concerned at first. I was running a lot and thought there was just some swelling and chafing from that. I wasn’t in any pain and decided to leave it, thinking it would just go away on its own, but two weeks later the lump was still there. It was becoming uncomfortable, so I went to get it checked.

“Everything then seemed to go really quickly from that first meeting to being treated in Velindre. It was all such a shock. I was fit, I was running 5Ks, 10Ks, marathons and half marathons and I was young as well.”

Within two months of diagnosis, Stewart had undergone several rounds of radiotherapy and managed to turn a corner.

He said: “When the consultant told me it was cancer the first thing I said, was can I still run? I was determined to fight my way through it and running was definitely my coping mechanism. All I had to think about was putting one foot in front of the other.  I don’t know where I would be without the world of running.”

Despite everything he was going through, Stewart kept what he was going through to himself, only telling some members of his run club, Fairwater Runners Cwmbran.

He said: “I didn’t want to put any stress or pressure on anyone, so went through treatment on my own. I just wanted some form of normality and didn’t want to be treated any differently. The worst feeling is having people feel sorry for me.”

Thankfully the treatment had been a success, but despite the good news, it didn’t alleviate his fears.

Stewart said: “When the consultant told me the news, it was brilliant for the whole of two seconds, however that relief was quickly replaced with fear and trepidation. I was so anxious that the cancer would return. I’d had it once, it could happen again. That thought was always in the back of my mind.”

Devastatingly, in January of this year, Stewart started feeling fatigued and found another lump. He had his bloods taken and they revealed the cancer had returned.

He’s now about to start treatment again but is determined to continue with his running as much as he can.

Stewart said: “I broke down when I found out my cancer had returned. I was being given so much information and felt so overwhelmed, so needed to go away and process what I’d been told before finding out my treatment plan. I can handle things better when I break things up into manageable chunks. Now I’ve composed myself and I’m prepared to fight it once again with everything I’ve got.”

He added: “The only reason why I’m here is because I checked myself. Being vigilant is so important, as well as getting yourself checked out if you notice anything abnormal. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking that if I’d left it any longer, I may have had a different prognosis, so I can’t stress enough how important it is for people to check themselves and go to the doctors if they notice anything has changed, no matter how small.”

Stewart is now raising money for Cancer Research Wales by running the Barry Island 10K on Sunday 17 May.

He said: “Raising money for Cancer Research Wales is so important. If by raising money I can help give some more time to one family going through cancer, then I will be an extremely happy man.”

Matt Newman, Chief Executive at event organisers Run 4 Wales, added: “Taking on the Barry Island 10K is an incredible achievement in any circumstances, but to do so while personally battling cancer shows extraordinary courage and determination. Everyone at Run 4 Wales is inspired by Stewart’s strength and resilience and can’t wait to cheer him over the finish line in May.”