Life has turned full circle for Mike Clark since he was sitting in the audience a couple of years ago watching “Courage on the Catwalk” at the Beach Ballroom in Aberdeen.
At the time, he marvelled at the resilience, resolve and close-knit camaraderie of the models, all of whom had been affected by a cancer or haematological diagnosis, yet were committed to raising funds for Friends of Anchor.
But now, as the build-up continues to the 2019 edition of Brave – the male version of Courage – Mr Clark will himself be one of the models taking to the stage after completing chemotherapy for prostate cancer in the last few weeks.
It’s a reminder of how many families are touched by the illness these days, but while the 60-year-old from Danestone in Aberdeen has clearly gone through the full gamut of emotions in recent months, he has nothing but admiration for those at the front line of tackling the disease and those who spend countless hours raising money to fund vital research into new medical advances.
Mr Clark was originally diagnosed with prostate cancer in August last year, but he needed the use of a catheter for four months and admits he might have struggled without the support of his wife Vera – “she has been a rock” – and his family, including his daughter and son-in-law, Lauren and Greig Allen.
They were a big part of the reason he decided to get involved with Brave in the first place.
He said: “They have both volunteered hundreds of hours with the charity and done a lot of fundraising and it’s not until you find yourself in my situation that you realise just how crucial all these different charity ventures and events really are to so many people.
“Lauren and Greig are involved with the Kiltwalk, the Glack Attack, Courage on the Catwalk, Brave…all sorts of other things, and they and the other fundraisers make such a difference.
“I remember thinking, when I was at the Beach Ballroom in 2017 ‘These models are really enjoying themselves’ and it has been the same for me.
“My son, Gary, and daughter, Louise, have also supported me all the way and they have provided tremendous support to me. I feel lucky in that regard.
“I don’t know whether it would have changed anything in my case, but my advice to anybody who might be experiencing problems with their prostate is to see their doctor straight away and not worry about it being embarrassing.
“It is treatable if you get it attended to quickly and it is a type of cancer with a high survival rate.
“To be honest, I think I have been fairly lucky in that I have taken the treatment – six sessions of chemotherapy, once every three weeks from December to March – pretty much in my stride.
“But I know that other folk are not as fortunate as me and even attending the rehearsals for Brave has shown me the impact of cancer.
“I have met some great guys, some really brave lads. It is a band of brothers and we are all really looking out for one another and pulling together.
“This isn’t about us, this is about doing whatever we can to help the nurses and doctors and other medical staff who have guided us through our journey. ”
This is the philosophy of so many of those participating in these catwalk displays.
Mr Clark was at Hampden Park last weekend as his beloved Dons – he went to his first game at Pittodrie more than 50 years ago – slumped to defeat in the Scottish Cup.
But, despite all the controversy at the end, he recognised it was just a football match.
He said: “When I went along to Courage, I thought it was humbling, it was happy, it was sad, it was emotional and ultimately life-affirming.
“Now I’m going on the catwalk myself, I know I will give it absolutely everything I’ve got.”
