Lung cancer patient Craig Maxwell to set sail on a 72-mile row to bring hope to cancer patients across Wales

13 May 2025

On the 19th May, Craig Maxwell will begin an extraordinary rowing journey which will take him from Tenby to Cardiff, with the aim of raising £250 000 for QuicDNA Max.

The QuicDNA Max programme builds on the success of the QuicDNA liquid biopsy clinical trial, which looks to improve lung cancer diagnosis for patients in Wales with the use of a simple blood test. The new initiative aims to expand the groundbreaking method into various other tumour types across the next three years, which the project leads at the All Wales Medical Genomics Service hope will give more patients access to testing that is not only quicker but also less invasive.

Craig was diagnosed with a rare, genetic form of lung cancer in 2022 and has since successfully raised over £1.6 million for the “Maxwell Family Genomics Fund” held by Velindre Cancer Centre; £430 000 of which directly co-funded the QuicDNA clinical trial. In the face of his terminal diagnosis, Craig began fundraising in the hopes of improving others’ diagnostic journeys and providing them with the chance of a better outlook than his own.

Craig’s incredible journey so far has seen him take part in numerous awe-inspiring physical challenges, all whilst undergoing treatment. These include completing the London Marathon, cycling from Cardiff to Paris and most recently, the Wales Coastal Path Challenge, where he and a team of supporters walked the entire 780-mile Wales Coastal Path in just 26 days.

In his upcoming rowing challenge, Craig will travel the reverse of his Coastal Path route, starting in Tenby and finishing in Cardiff, in time for the Investec Champions Cup Final at the Principality Stadium on Saturday 24th May. Craig will carry the match ball with him for the duration of his journey, which he will then hand over to a current patient at the Velindre Cancer Centre to deliver it to the stadium for the beginning of the game.

Craig will be joined by three fellow rowers, including former Wales International Rugby Player Rhys Williams, to support him in navigating over 17 nautical miles a day.

They will be cheered on in their efforts by friends, family, colleagues and a few recognisable faces.

For more information, visit Maxwell Family Genetics Fund and you can find out more about QuicDNA here: QuicDNA liquid biopsy real world evaluation | Life Sciences