The Why

We Rise Together has been and idea that has slowly developed over many years.

In 2010 we lost our beautiful 4 year old son, Nayan, when a young man lost control of his car, went into a slide hit both my children and my wife.

Such a loss was incredibly profound. The fallout from it was immense and fell into the deepest and darkest of places. For time I thought the light would never return and that there was little point in carrying on.

What I couldn’t see was the amzing community of family and friends who surrounding me, caring for me and who were slowly guiding me back towards the light. I was unable to RISE by myself but with their support I was slowly able to find my way back.

WE RISE TOGETHER has become my new mission because I know that when adversity finds us we need our community to stand with us a lift us back up.

Last year I began to have some issues with my health. I saw several doctors over 8 months. Eventually I had some tests done that would lead me to being diagnosed with bowel cancer.

It’s been quite the journey since diagnosed. I have undergone significant surgery and I’m currently working my way through a 6 month chemotherapy plan. Both have taken a toll and I still have some work to do to climb the mountain. My prognosis is positive but with any cancer there’s always the chance it can return.

I've done a lot of soul searching over the past few months. This diagnosis turned my world upside down. It’s been frightening to confront my own mortality. It seemed at every turn the news got worse. I’d just turned 51 and I wasn’t sure if I would see 52. I seemed unable to control my thoughts and I constantly fixated on how bad things might be.

It was a tough time recovering from surgery. At first I could walk only to the door in my hospital room. For someone who has run ultramarathons it was very humbling to be able to only manage a few steps.

I worked hard on my surgical recovery and slowly but surely I started to regain mobility, endurance and strength. I hadn’t realised the extent to which my cancer had been affecting me. As it’s a slow growing cancer it’s likely that it has been growing in me for many years.

It was incredible to find that once it was out and I’d shaken off the cobwebs from the surgery I felt energy in my body that had long since passed, I was able regulate my weight more easily and on my first run post surgery (about 10 weeks) I was faster than I was pre surgery. Things that I had simply put down to age were in fact the insidious nature of the cancer that was slowly sinking me.

My prognosis is good and there is every chance that I’ll beat this. But the journey to get there is being hard fought. I’m determined to do all I can and I’m feeling hopeful for my future, however, if I am one of the one in 5 who has their cancer return then I’m told at that stage it will not be curable and that with treatment I can maybe expect to live for 2 years.

As I’ve slowly come to grips with all that’s happened over the past 15 months I’ve found myself constantly reflecting on what will my legacy be? When time feels more urgent some of these big questions take on more meaning.

I really treasure, now, the time I have with those who are closest to me. I’m blessed to have so many great people around me who have been compassionate and standing steadfast in my corner. Initially, after diagnosis, my overwhelming fear was not being here to share those wonderful moments that we experience with those we love. I now find myself full of hope and being far more present in each moment and looking forward to new adventures.

I’ve always had a sense of the importance of leaving the world a better place than I found it. While, through the work that I’ve done, in some ways I’ve managed to achieve this. The scale of the impact I’ve had no longer satisfies me. Through this time I’ve done a lot of reflection on adversity I’ve faced and how hard it has been to rise from it. Through tremendous grief and now on my cancer journey I’ve come to learn and understand so much.

I can’t sit on the sidelines any more and so I’ve launched a new Social Enterprise called “We Rise Together”. My goal is to create a global platform that people can turn to when adversity finds them.

My mission, which has risen from lived experience, is to be a positive force in the world to help people overcome the darkest moments of their lives and find the strength to rise. With my cancer diagnosis I’ve felt a calling to create something that helps people to climb from adversity and to provide education with the hope of preventing tragedies from happening in the first place.

The aim is to share real stories of resilience, offer meaningful resources for healing and growth, and build a community of hope and purpose. From grief to cancer, from trauma to transformation we can only rise together.

We Rise Together exists to remind people they are not alone, and that even in the depths of adversity, there is a way forward.

I’m starting with nothing but my aim is ambitious. I want this mission to go global. I want We Rise Together to become a global phenomenon that raises millions of dollars that can be directed into charitable organisations that are at the forefront supporting those in need. It’s my aim that a significant proportion of profits will be donated to causes aligned with this mission. At this stage I’m looking to support organisations aligned to grief support, cancer care, road safety, mental health and to youth well being.

This is not a mission I can achieve by myself. I need your help. So, to kick this off I’ve committed to writing a book, a memoir of sorts where I will share the journey I’ve been on and the lessons learnt as I’ve come back from darkness, to the light to not just survive but to thrive.

My goal is to write one chapter a month while building the infrastructure to launch this mission.

The first chapter of my book can be found by following this link. If it’s something you might be interested in please feel free to check it out. If reading about my journey is not your thing but you believe in what We Rise Together represents then please share what I’m trying to achieve here with others. You can do this by simply sharing this link on your social media platforms.

I have big dreams of where this might go and the positive impact it will have on people around the world. If you are interested in coming on this journey with me please just reach out to me through my social media platforms or you can email me on duncan@werisetogether.org.nz.

I’ve always believed that we are strongest when we’re connected and I believe that WE RISE TOGETHER can grow to be a global movement for good helping people around the world to face adversity head on and RISE from it.