WMS students ‘sit up’ for charity

20 Warwick Medical students tired themselves out this week by setting themselves the formidable challenge of completing 100,000 sit-ups in seven days in order to raise money for Cervical Cancer research. Running alongside Cervical Cancer Week, the girls completed the task between January 23-30, with an estimated 5,000 sit-ups accredited to each participant.

The girls’ efforts were inspired greatly by the success of the ‘Movember’ press-up challenge, in which the participants completed 100,000 press-ups between 10 individuals to raise money for Prostate Cancer research. Sarah O’Brien, one of the organisers of the event, explained how they “wanted to do something equally as physically testing and something that would draw attention”.

However, an even greater inspiration came from the severity of the threat of Cervical Cancer, which is now the second most common cancer in women aged 35 and under. One in four women diagnosed with the disease will die.

O’Brien explained that they “thought it would be a great cause” as “cervical cancer isn’t particularly advocated.” However, not only is it an important cause generally, but the disease should be advocated more on-campus in particular because of the threat to young women.

“Four in five will contract the virus at least once in their life. This means women of university age who are sexually active are highly likely to contract the virus but normally do not go for cervical screening until they are 25, when screening is offered by the NHS.”

The girls occasionally did sit-ups on the Piazza, but most of their efforts were confined to the medical school campus on Gibbet Hill Road. O’Brien explained how she thought it would be advantageous to undertake the task on the main campus, however it was “difficult because of our timetable and also our location off the main campus”.

The girls have set the target at raising £2,500 and, already having raised over £400, they are on their way to achieving their target. The girls send their plea to all _Boar_ readers to visit their donation page (see link below) and help them reach their target.

http://myprojects.cancerresearchuk.org/fundraise/fundraising-pages/warwick-medics-donate-to-cervical-cancer