Death of Olympic cyclist’s twin brother from Stotfold inspires Walk of Hope fundraiser

The twin brother of Olympic cyclist Victoria Pendleton has inspired his widow to take part in a charity fundraiser two months after he died from an aggressive brain tumour.

Alex Pendleton, brother of the former track cyclist and Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth champion, was diagnosed with a brain tumour in March 2021 after experiencing slurred speech and severe confusion.

Alex, 42, from Stotfold, had also been feeling sick and experienced a strange sense of smell and taste, symptoms initially attributed to Covid.

He had a biopsy, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy, before spending 17 months on various chemo drugs. Despite this, he developed a second brain tumour. But his treatment came to end after a critically low platelet count prevented him from continuing with chemo.

He died in a hospice in June 2023, four days after his wife, Sarah’s, 33rd birthday and just seven days before the couple’s fifth wedding anniversary.

Paying tribute to her brother following his death, Victoria said: “If you know me then you likely know my twin brother Alex, I just wanted to let you know that this morning Alex sadly passed away after an epic battle against an aggressive brain tumour.“He will be painfully missed by many. Rest in peace my kind, brave twinnie, you will forever be in our hearts.”

Sarah said: “I thought Al would have his tumour taken out and we’d be able to go about our lives again, so learning he had brain cancer knocked us for six.

“He started deteriorating in January 2023 and was frequently in and out of A&E. He’d become confused and start slurring his words again and the doctors would have to increase his steroids.

“After a scan in April showed continued disease progression, he was put on yet another chemo drug, but he didn’t respond well to it and needed a platelet transfusion.

“Eventually, he lost the use of his right side and couldn’t even feel me holding his hand. His walking became severely impaired, and he complained of feeling dizzy.

“When we met with the oncology team at the beginning of June, they said they didn’t think he was clinically well enough for further treatment. Having witnessed his decline, I feared that’s what they would say but it was heartbreaking to hear.”

Now Sarah has vowed to do what she can to raise awareness of the disease, and to help raise vital funds for research.

She will be taking part in the Brain Tumour Research charity’s Luton Walk of Hope, which will take place at Wardown Park on September 30. Her younger sister, Gemma Fox, who lives in Langford, will be joining her.

The walk is being organised in memory of four young people who have died from brain tumours, three of whom also had a GBM. They are Amani Liaquat, from Luton, who died in February 2022, aged 23; George Fox, from Barton-le-Clay, who died at the age of 13 in April 2022; Shay Patel, from Woburn sands, who died in September 2020, aged 13; and Renai Taylor-Fraser, from Luton, who was 11 when she died from a diffuse midline glioma, also known as diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), in August 2022.

Sarah said: “I’m looking forward to the walk and think it’ll be good for me to meet others who have been through, or are going through, what I have.”

She added: “Knowing the average prognosis for GBM is 12-18 months makes me even more appreciative of the time I got with Al, more than two years from diagnosis.

“It’s only when someone you love is affected by this disease you realise how common it is, which is why I feel it’s so important to support Brain Tumour Research and do what I can to help find a cure.

“Al didn’t drink or smoke, and he loved golf so was always fairly active. His death shocked people who couldn’t believe someone as healthy as him could have a disease like this, which snowballed from waking up one day feeling a bit sick.

“I’m still in disbelief, and so sad. It’s been a really difficult journey and knowing how common it is and how the treatment for it hasn’t changed in decades makes it all the more awful.”

Sarah and Alex used to work for the same property management company, which is how they first met. They started dating in 2014 and he proposed to her on Valentine’s Day in 2017. They were married 16 months later.

Sarah said: “It sounds cliché but Alex was the nicest person you could ever meet, and so thoughtful. He had a heart of gold and would do anything for anyone.

“He was a really positive person to be around, even throughout his illness, and I feel very lucky to have known him. We had nine years together and they were the best nine years of my life – I couldn’t have asked for a better man.”

Charlie Allsebrook, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “Alex’s sad story, and those of Amani, George, Shay and Renai, serve as a stark reminder of the indiscriminate nature of brain tumours, which can affect anyone at any time. They kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease since records began in 2002. We’re determined to change this and are really grateful to Sarah for signing up to take part in our Luton Walk of Hope. Anyone wishing to join us can find out more about it at: www.braintumourresearch.org/luton-walk-of-hope-2023.”

You can support Sarah’s Walk of Hope fundraiser here