Man cycles perimeter of island for thyroid cancer

A 24-year-old cycled around the entire island in just one day over the weekend to raise funds for thyroid cancer.

The incredible feat, accomplished by Alexandros Agrotis, began from Deryneia on Saturday afternoon, where he began a journey through the state-controlled areas through the night.

Speaking to the Cyprus Mail, Agrotis, who rides for UCI WorldTeam Israel – Premier Tech and Israel Cycling Academy Continental Team, said that around dawn he reached the Limnitis checkpoint and crossed to the north, where he continued to Kyrenia then Karpasia and back to Deryneia.

“I exceeded my target, and it will be all donated to the Bank of Cyprus oncology centre,” he said.

“This ride was not about me, it was about all the people who suffer from thyroid cancer and when the cause is bigger than you, giving up is not an option.”

The tour of the entire periphery of the island totalled 626.44 km and took approximately 22 hours of cycling.

Agrotis was followed by a support vehicle for his entire journey, to provide him with food, water, and help if needed.

Ahead of his journey, Agrotis posted on social media saying: “I will be doing a fundraising ride for thyroid cancer, a disease I was diagnosed with eight years ago.”

He added that this type of cancer is ‘fairly common’ now, but that the information is scarce and awareness of the disease is almost non-existent.

According to the US research hospital Mayo Clinic, thyroid cancer rates seem to be increasing, which may be caused by improved imaging technology that allows health care providers to find small thyroid cancers on CT and MRI scans done for other conditions (incidental thyroid cancers). Thyroid cancers found in this way are usually small cancers that respond well to treatments.

Agrotis added that as a patient himself he would cycle the periphery of the island starting from the east coast going clockwise.

“The moral of the story is that you should never give up even if you are going through the worst. I didn’t give up and I managed to complete the ride in under 24 hours,” he said on social media.

The fundraiser is still open, and Agrotis said that whoever wants to donate can visit the link: www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=QE23PEKZEZC96