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Bob Champion: From Terminal Diagnosis to Cancer Fundraising Champion
7 Oct
Summary
- Bob Champion was given four months to live after a cancer diagnosis.
- He has since raised over £17 million for cancer research through his trust.
- Despite a recent bladder cancer treatment, he continues fundraising efforts.
In 1981, Bob Champion achieved a remarkable victory in the Grand National. However, just eighteen months prior to this triumph, he received a devastating diagnosis of testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs, with doctors giving him only four months to live. Champion, a resident of Newmarket, Suffolk, has since channeled his experience into a lifelong mission of fundraising.
Through the cancer trust he founded in 1983, Champion has raised an impressive sum exceeding £17 million for cancer research. He continues his unwavering commitment to this cause, even after undergoing treatment for bladder cancer earlier in 2026. Champion expressed his determination to continue these efforts, stating a desire to prolong people's lives in a better way.
The 78-year-old jockey acknowledged that while he is not as physically fit as he was at 21, he is in good health and grateful that his recent bladder cancer was detected early. Reflecting on his 1981 diagnosis, Champion admitted he had "left it a little too late," a stark contrast to the prompt detection of his recent condition.
