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Joe's story
Joe Appiah
In July this year Joe Appiah won his 3rd outdoor gold at the World Masters Athletics Championships in Tampere, Finland. Not only did Joe win Gold in the M50 100m hurdles final but also set a new Championship Record and European Record of 13.71 seconds.
Joe unofficially broke the M50 100m hurdles World Record in June with 13.49sescs (previous WR 13.57secs). This came very unexpectedly for Joe and it’s awaiting ratification.
Thanks to our funding scheme for elite competitors we were able to help Joe achieve his dream, with £200 of funding, which was put towards the costs of getting to Finland.
As if that wasn’t enough, Joe also helped the M50 age group 4x100m relay team to win gold as well. Running the first leg, which many see as the most challenging, Joe was instrumental in their victory.
But this isn’t the first time that Joe has held a record or two.
Back in January this year, Joe set the UK and European record for his age group in the indoors 60m hurdles. Unfortunately, just missing out on a world record by the thickness of a t-shirt with a time of 8.25secs (WR 8.24secs), still couldn’t dampen Joe’s spirits nor gloss over his incredible achievement.
In recognition of his accomplishments, Joe was awarded the award for the British Masters Male Athlete of the Year by Athletics Weekly magazine.
An awesome all-rounder
The multiple worlds and European masters champion broke the British M50 100m hurdles record with a staggering 13.85 on his debut in 2021. Amazingly, Joe also sits at the top of the M50 rankings for both long jump (6.07m) and triple jump (12.22m) in 2021.
He accredits his successes to his incredible family support network, coaches, physios, therapists and sponsors, plus his amazing training group at Crystal Palace National Stadium and his local club Kent AC.
More than just a physical challenge to overcome
The story of his athleticism would be remarkable on its own merits but given that Joe was diagnosed with stage 2 prostate cancer in July 2021 (stage 3 by September when he had his surgery) aged 50, makes it even more astounding. Despite having no symptoms, Joe was encouraged to speak with his GP by a close friend just for a check-up. Learning that black males are 4 times more likely to suffer from prostate cancer, Joe considers himself incredibly fortunate his cancer was caught early and is now working with Prostate Cancer UK and NHS England to raise awareness of the disease among men.
If his story has prompted you to know more or has affected you at all, you can follow in Joe’s footsteps and take Prostate cancer UK’s 30-second risk checker. It really is just 30 seconds and could be incredibly important, especially if you’re over 50 or have a family history of prostate cancer or are a black man over 45.
“I’d seen adverts about prostate cancer, but I didn’t know how badly black men were affected, or how to get a test. I didn’t have any symptoms and wasn’t aware of any family history. So, until my friend told me to get a test, I hadn’t thought about it. Thanks to my friend they caught it just in time when it was still in the prostate”
As part of his work to raise awareness, Joe appeared on BBC Breakfast on 17 February 2022 to talk about his prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment, check out the video on his Instagram. He was also interviewed on Radio Five Live.
Joe continues…."On Friday 15 July, l had my second date with Naga on BBC Breakfast’s red sofa. My appearance on 17 February had a huge impact on the prostate cancer campaign and a man called Ted saw me on TV. He got tested even though he had no symptoms and was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Because of my story, his cancer has been caught early and is undergoing surgery soon."
Mentally and Physically Strong
Joe credits his positive mindset and physical fitness to his speedy return to running.
“It was about looking at the problem and seeing how best I could solve it. My mindset was that I wasn’t going to feel sorry for myself but instead fight to get back on track and on track. I have athletics to thank for strengthening my self-belief. You can always turn a negative into a positive and learn to grow – regardless of who you are, where you come from and what you believe”.
And what’s next for Joe?
"My recovery since my surgery in September 2021 surprised me. So much so that l was able to train within a few months and competed in February 2022 at the European Masters Athletics Championships in Portugal. I won my 60m hurdles Gold and Long Jump Bronze medal. I also came 5th in the 60m final."
So, what’s next for Joe? Who knows, but we’ll keep you posted with Joe’s story and journey.
