Olly Solly was 21 when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma – the same cancer his brother Benjamin had beaten 11 years previously.
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00:00So boys, welcome onto the program. Really good to have you here. First of all, can you just give me
00:04a bit of an outline of what people would expect this weekend if they choose to come down to
00:08Hearthstone Park? So we're doing a charity football match. It's in aid of the Viking Day Unit at
00:16our local hospital, Margate QEQM. We did one a few years ago, like I say, but this one,
00:22yeah, it's looking bigger and better. My mum was treated at the unit herself and obviously Ollie
00:29as well. So yeah, we're just trying to raise some funds. We've got a raffle going on at the end of
00:33the game, but it's really just a kick about between friends, just trying to raise some
00:38money for a good cause. It's brilliant stuff. And I wanted to ask you a little bit about the
00:41Viking ward, if that's okay. I know it means a lot to you both personally. Obviously, Sam,
00:46you said it treated your mum and Ollie not only treated your brother, but yourself as well. So
00:52tell me what it means to you raising money for that ward. Yeah, quite a lot really. Like I say,
00:59three people I know, including myself, have all been treated there. So without, I'd say,
01:04without the ward I wouldn't be here. I probably would have had treatment elsewhere, but obviously
01:08having the ward on my doorstep is really helpful and it's a brilliant ward, nice people. And as I
01:13say, the football is really just a bonus. It's just trying to raise as much as we can to try and
01:17repay something back to them. Obviously, we'll never be able to do what we'd like to do really,
01:22but yeah, as long as we raise as much as we can to help them, that's what matters really.
01:29Absolutely. And Ollie, what was that like for you having to go through that? Obviously,
01:34with your brother, you and your family had kind of not got through it. Obviously,
01:38it takes a lot out of your lives, but then to have to go through it again,
01:41I suppose, when you found out about your own diagnosis.
01:44Yeah, definitely. I mean, one time's bad enough and then, like I say, getting it myself,
01:49it's just, you sort of go, blimey, what happens now? Am I going to be all right? And then,
01:54I guess, after the first couple of weeks and you start treatment, you sort of just have to crack on
01:58and just deal with it really. But yeah, I wouldn't wish it on anyone, but we're both all right now.
02:03Tracey's fine. That's the main thing really. And I've got to ask then, obviously, this is
02:08a charity football match, not your first one. What has sport meant to your lives and football
02:13in general? Obviously, the awful things that you've been through, but having that as kind of,
02:18I know lots of people like to just get lost in their sport and their football.
02:22Yeah, I mean, these times have been tough going through all this sort of stuff and football's
02:27just always been a nice release. We go and play once a week. We still play with friends.
02:32And it's just, yeah, it's always made things easier. And it's nice to be able to combine
02:37the two together, play some football and, like I say, raise some money for a good cause.
02:43That draws me quite nicely onto my next question. I was going to ask,
02:46how good are you guys playing football? One thing is setting up a charity match,
02:49but you've got to be able to actually perform on the day.
02:53Yeah, it'll be a decent level. I say for a charity match, it is a decent level. We've got some
02:59real good players playing, some semi-professional players playing. So it is a kicker, but obviously
03:04there's a competitive side to it. So yeah, it will be a decent game for the viewers.
03:09Good stuff. I mean, I had a little bit of a read-up. So obviously you've got yourselves,
03:13you've got some semi-professional players, as you were saying. What does it look like
03:17between you two? Are you on the same team? Are you against each other?
03:21We're actually the captains of both teams, so we'll be going head-to-head.
03:24And you're quite competitive between each other as well? Who do you think is going to take it?
03:30I took the first one.
03:31Yeah, he won last time, so I'm looking to try and win this one.
03:34Try and get it back. Try and get it equal.
03:36Of course, you've already got £1,000 raised for this one. Do you have a goal in mind of what you
03:41might want to be able to give back to the Viking Ward?
03:45To be honest, online, on the GoFundMe we've done, £1,000 was the goal. So to have reached that
03:50already without even kicking a ball on the day is amazing, to be honest. So anything now is a bonus.
03:59Best of luck for the weekend. Finally, can you just let us know how people can
04:03get involved and come along on the day?
04:06Yeah, the football match is at Margate Football Club in Thanet, or south-east Kent. I haven't got
04:11the postcode off the top of my head. But there's a GoFundMe page on the Isle of Thanet Gazette
04:15newspaper page on Facebook as well. So the GoFundMe link is in there. And as I say,
04:19there's a wrap-around, so if you want to go and watch the match, you can go and watch it.
04:24Well, best of luck for the weekend, guys. Enjoy it.
04:27Thank you.