Salisbury tax advisor who beat cancer takes part in boxing match

David Rice, 27, was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin's Lymphoma in April 2021, which he described as a 'fight with death.'

After seven months of treatment, he was given the all clear, and he is now in remission.

David, of Ivie Place, said: "It was a complete shock because cancer doesn't run in the family, and I had no idea it was there.

"It started from agonising shoulder pain. I got an X-Ray, and that's when I found out I had cancer. My life turned upside down."

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As part of his treatment, he received chemotherapy called BEACOPP-DAC.

David admits this took a toll on both his physical and mental health, which he found especially difficult because he had worked hard to lose weight a few years ago.

He said: "All the weight I had previously lost came back on - I must have ballooned back up to 28 stone.

“I could hardly walk up a flight of stairs at one point. I lost all my fitness. But I'm getting back into it, and I'm 21 stone now.

"I weighed in at 32 stone back in 2015 - and I was told by a surgeon that the way I was going, I was going to die within six months if I carried on eating the way I was.

“I worked hard and lost just over 13 stone.

"When I lost all this weight, I wanted to prove to myself that I could do something special, so one day, I just decided to sign up for a charity boxing event in April 2018.

He added: "Everyone thought I was nuts. Although I've always loved boxing and the training, I'd never thought about taking part in a bout."

Now David has signed up for an Ultra White Collar Boxing event in Bournemouth to raise money for Cancer Research UK later this month.

Ultra White Collar Boxing gives participants like David the opportunity to take part in eight weeks of free professional boxing training before a showcase event in front of hundreds of spectators.

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Those taking part are asked to sell tickets for the show and raise at least £50 for Cancer Research UK.

So far, Ultra Events - the company behind the event - has raised a staggering £25m for Cancer Research UK.

David added: "I want to give back to those who helped me. I've done a similar event before, but this time it's different. It's personal to me.

"I've only raised a couple of hundred pounds so far, but my boss is going to match it, and it should be around £1,000 by the time of the bout.

"I love the sport of boxing. The last time I did it the atmosphere was one of the best I've experienced in my life, and I'm super excited for this next one. "