Helping Children with Cancer
Two awards in under two weeks for this father , husband and Police Officer .
The Met Police long service and good conduct award and Her majesty the Queen New year Honour for British Empire award for policing and charity work .
We dedicate these to you our beautiful, precious Tanyel as you were our biggest and best award in this life .
In 2020 Ceyhun was picked to take part in Survivor Turkey .
He proved that there is no age does not have to limit fitness, and performed amazingly well. Even though he didn’t come first, he was a winner in our eyes. His performance was outstanding and he remained calm and measured throughout. He was very much loved in the Dominican Republic .
In taking part he showed the Turkish community that even as a grieving father he still continues to keep positive, and share the message of his precious daughter Tanyel.
We are all so proud of him .
We thank Acun ilaci and Acun media team for believing in him .
Due to the Covid pandemic we were unable to visit our children and their families in the Turkish Republic Of Northern Cyprus for Christmas and new year . With the help of Kemal Saracoglu we were able to keep some smiles by arranging vouchers for 65 children to purchase gifts.
Tanyel’s smile achieves another milestone having raised so far over £2,000 by running 75km Yedidalga Girne Beni orada Belle.
It was a gruelling race and I couldn’t have done it without the support of my fantastic support team. I’d like to thank you all individually for you donations, and extra special thanks goes to:
First and foremost my amazing wife Gulay for her full support from start to finish, and also, thank you to Taskin for his amazing vehicle support all the way 11 hours of slow driving making sure we were refreshed and fit at all times.
To Nadya saçlı for an amazing coaching support throughout this journey, from start to finish; a very keen dedicated young ultra runner she came all the way from Adana Turkey for this event – a true legend .
Ali Kayral and his team Run DMC Cyprus for their support from Lefkosa to Girne pace making and keeping me and Nadya motivated towards finish line.
Murat Gökçe my amazing friend another legend for joining us, keeping strong all the way and keeping his son’s memory alive. Amazing run!
Not forgetting our special thanks behind the scenes Ricki Watson for providing our lovely running tops from his company Amphibian . T
Thanks to Alex from MBE Harrow for providing our posters and design for our support teams.
Thanks to our Cyprus police support lefke Güzelyurt Lefkosa and Girne for keeping us all safe and closing roads off all done brilliant job .
Huge thanks to North Cyprus prime minister Ersin Tatar for supporting Tanyel’s smile and greeting us at the finish line .
What an amazing way to finish the year, a 75km long run in 11 hrs. Followed by the next day, a day spent putting smiles on these beautiful kids at the oncology ward. Jay even managed be Santa for the day.
After our New Year’s party with the kids, families and oncology staff we visited Basman Nike store to present the kids with presents. Sports bags each and a voucher so they can purchase their choice of Nike products . It was so nice to so many kids and their families smiling .
A Massive thanks to all staff at Nike Lefkosa Ali Basman Mehmet and sales assistance all been amazing making this happen.
Thank you to all the reporters Elif şençatal at Haberci TV for the report on our beautiful girl’s charity, Can from Kibris Tv and Kıbrıs Haber for hosting us live on her show and Kıbrıs news.
Massive thanks to Gizem özgeç for sharing our story Haberci newspaper amazing article also front page on the Christmas Day edition .Genç TV. Hüseyin Kıral for hosting us live also presenting Jay with first prize money for December’s top sports personality of Cyprus .This was donated to our charity . It’s been a crazy year with so many charity events hopefully this hard work continues into 2020.
Wishing all of our valuable supports a Happy New Year.
This year Tanyel’s smile has reached around the Globe to raise awareness of childhood cancer and raise funds to help and support children and their families during difficult times. We thank you all so very much for your continued support.
Our last event will take us back to Cyprus for this year’s toughest and most gruesome challenge, as we continue to raise as much awareness and funds as we can. The Ultra 75 km run will be held on Sunday 29th December 2019 starting at 06:00 am from Yedidalga outside Aspava restaurant with Murat Gökçe (Ada’s father) and Nadya Zuyeva by my side.
The run will continue flat some curves through citrus smelling Güzelyurt orange fields to Nicosia 55km . This is where fellow runners, my friend Ali Kayral and his team “Run DMC” will be joining us for the final 20km push: uphill through Boğaz mountains then downhill, with spectacular mountain and sea views, heading towards to finish at the Historic Kyrenia castle. If everything goes well we anticipate finishing at around 3pm local time.
If you are in Cyprus Please join at this unforgettable event and cheer us on.
Together we can all make a big difference and give so much smiles back to our children. Feel free to tune in on the day to Cyprus local radio social media and TV to follow our journey.
Together, with Tanyel’s Smile we can achieve so much. Wishing everyone health and happiness for 2020. Keep smiling ?
If you’d like to help children suffering with cancer, please use this link to our FaceBook page: http://www.justgiving.com/Ceyhun-Uzun75kmyedidalgagirne?utm_id=27
Thank you xx
Latest News – Tanyel’s Smile also made the news in Turkey.
I arrived to a very special welcome to my home town of Istanbul with TEAM TANYEL my wife Gulay and niece Feride, for the famous marathon.
It’s the only marathon in the world to be run over two continents, starting on the Asian side of the Bosphorus and finishing in Europe. It’s full of history – a race through time. More importantly, it has an unrivalled atmosphere 300 metres from the Bosporus Bridge.
Now in its 41st year, the race attracts 104,000 runners from all over the world, and I warmed up alongside runners from the US, Canada, Italy , Czechia and France, as well as the many local runners. It was a busy start, particularly with an 8, 10 and 15k event running simultaneously, although everything is well organised with bag transportation to the finish and clearly marked out start areas for each distance.
Finally, as the sun began to take the nip from the air, the Mayor of Istanbul fired the starting pistol and we were off, racing across the bridge, the minarets and domes of the city’s ancient mosques etched against the skyline ahead.
With no timed start pens, and the other races joining after 500 metres (aside from the 8k which begins 30 minutes later) , it is chaotic, with runners of different speeds all requiring navigation. And there’s a near 100 metre climb within the first 5k.
I raced my way up alongside a Istanbul local, running beneath the Valens viaduct at the top. Standing since the year 368AD, it provided water to the city in its incarnation as the Eastern Roman capital of Constantinople. In fact, the first 15k of the route provide an inspiring tour of some of the best sights of this ancient city.
Passing Dolmabache Palace, a splendid mix of European and Ottoman style built in 1843, it passes through the old harbour area of Karaköy – now an upcoming trendy neighbourhood – before crossing Galata Bridge. Wow it was absolutely buzzing! Originally serving as a link between the Imperial Palace and the merchant neighbourhood, the bridge is now popular with locals who fish the Golden Horn.
From here, the marathon route heads up along the Golden Horn for an out and back section. Already running hell for leather on the opposite side were the elite runners. As we left the historical area, we followed a dual carriageway, all the way out and back for 20 long, monotonous kilometres. It hugs the the Bosphorus Strait, with its traffic jam of trawlers waiting to be navigated to the Black Sea. By 30k, I too felt like one of those trawlers – stuck and not going anywhere.
Now and again, the call to prayer drifted through the air to remind me I was in Istanbul. That and the refreshment stops, placed every 2.5k, offering water, sponges, energy drinks, sugar cubes, apple and banana chunks were the only things that kept me going.
With little over a mile to go, the route finished with a sting in the tail, uphill, across paving slabs and cobbled stones to finish at the Hippodrome, the beating heart of the former Byzantine and Ottoman empires and once home to fierce chariot rides.
My legs and heart were working hard, but I took inspiration from the fantastic atmosphere, running through Gülhane Park, once the gardens of the Topkapi Palace, autumnal leaves orange against the sky. With crowds of supporters lining the route, I finished with a sprint, calf muscles burning, within a stone’s throw of the Sultan Ahmed, known as the Blue Mosque for its blue tiles.
As I looked around, surrounded by ancient mosques and palaces that have stood for thousands of years, the cheering supporters recalling the shouts of millions through the ages, even the dual carriageway run was forgiven. Not least because I could now boast I’d run from Asia to Europe for Tanyel’s smile, and received a huge welcome from my wife and Niece Feride our family friends cheering at the finish line.
A massive thanks go to all the donations we have received. We’re now at nearly £600 for this race alone. Special thanks to our two sponsors Helvadere and Ayshen Travel.
If you haven’t and wish to make a donation you can follow this link:
https://justgiving.com/fundraising/Ceyhun-Uzun11istanbulmarathon
Thank you, Cey xx
This year Tanyel’s smile stretched all the way to Sydney Australia, Blackmores Sydney Marathon to help children with cancer.
It was absolutely awesome experience running through Sydney, starting at the famous Harbour Bridge and finishing at Sydney Opera House. A massive thanks to our family in Oz, Seval Aysel and Deniz, and to you all for your support and generous donations together we have reached just under £1,000.
Cey xx
Today is the day! My first organised event for a very special girl, my beautiful cousin .. my little sister.. my best friend.
We have raised over £1,000 for a special charity, which will give more smiles to children and their families with cancer in Northern Cyprus. I loved every minute and the effort that I’ve spent for planning, arranging, designing, and preparing for this organisation.
I’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone at @helvaderelondon for supporting us and making this event extra special, and a big thank you to everyone who came along to celebrate with us.
What an amazing and rewarding job @gulayuzunx and @ceyhunjay are doing in memory of Tanyel, supporting other children and their families going through trauma of cancer. A massive thanks to Helvadere and their staff for organising this event they were absolutely brilliant food was so tasty also massive thanks to the Julie Lodge @ Pavilion for proving lovely flowers for our prize.
By Feride Sergil (Tanyel’s Cousin)
Tanyel’s smile achieved another milestone, completing its 2nd Annual charity cycle event, peddling 150 miles in 22 hours from London’s Cutty Sark to Bruges Belgium.
Despite gale force winds, closed roads and delays on ferry crossings we made it, and most importantly we raised over £5,000.
This was a massive team effort, without which it wouldn’t of been possible. Thank you to everyone who helped, supported and contributed.
For the navigation and support vehicles, a big thank you to Tanyel’s mum, Gülay Uzun, her Niece, Feride Sergil, and Taşkın Sergil, in the second vehicle, they were all amazing. They guided us through thick and thin to our destination and breaks.
Our amazing 13 cyclists, Tanyel’s Dad, Ceyhun Uzun, Tanyel’s Uncle, Cumhur Uzun, Barry Sadler, Charlie Farge, Helen Smith, Chris Hall, Kasım Necat, Turan Korukoglu, Dave Brenan, Necat Hondus, Umut Şen, Eren Aspava and a massive thanks to Caner Aspava who joined our team all the way from Cyprus.
Also Special thanks to our sponsors Ricki Watson from AmphibianApparelUK.com for providing our lovely cycle tops – they were brilliant and very comfortable. Thank you also to our other sponsor, my great friend Andy from Artion construction. Similarly, a massive thanks to Alex and his team at MBE @ Harrow for providing prints for our bike numbers and escort vehicles.
Also, big thanks to Gemma Nightingale at DFDS ferry crossing for providing us excellent services and a huge donations for our charity; and Karos Floris Hotel in Bruges for their hospitality.
It was a tough event but worth it. Tanyel’s smile will continue to raise funds to help other children look out on our web page who knows what’s planned for our next destination.
Thanks again,
Cey
Over £2,000 was raised for charity as seventeen of us took the skies for a high flying celebration of Tanyel’s heavenly 24th Birthday – something she had always wanted to do in her life .
“Thank you so much to everyone who helped me raise so much for Tanyel’s Smile. This is a sneak preview of my terrifying skydive – it was an awesome experience. This was for you Tanyel, because you were the meaning to my life. All I do is for you. Everything you didn’t complete in your short life I will continue to do for you . “, Gulay xx
