Today, 18th February 2014, would have been my dads birthday if he hadn’t lost his nine month battle with cancer on 30th January 2014.
My dad was a lifelong Chelsea supporter, which is why I’ve often told people that growing up in my house there was a choice: supporting Chelsea, or adoption! I’m kidding about that bit, although as an ardent supporter and former Chelsea Ballboy, it was inevitable dads passion would rub off on me.
Why am I sharing these personal details so publicly on the blog though? Simple – today, 18th February 2014 is the day I become an ex smoker. Not totally un-football related really, since Chelsea FC itself backed the Department of Health’s Smokefree United programme to provide coaching and support to help fans stop smoking – and our very own Gianfranco Zola was very involved at the start of the campaign.
Of course, going ‘cold turkey’ from smoking, the more pressure I put myself under to stay Smokefree, the better – so, through Just Giving I will be raising money in memory of my dad, with all proceeds going to the Chelsea FC Foundation. In addition, for every pound I gain in weight along the way, I will be donating £5 of my own money to Cancer Research.
Will I or won’t I have the willpower though? My guess is the more money raised, the more likely I am to stay Smokefree – so get giving!