Auckland man with stage four cancer in Relay For Life next weekend.

Caryn Wilkinson Reporter from Community News

A man with stage four cancer is bracing himself to walk 18 hours in jandals to raise funds for "those suffering more than me".

Shane Callaghan from Te Atatu Peninsula takes on the annual Relay For Life fundraiser next weekend.

The self-described Melahomi Jandal Strutter said he will be doing things differently as the relay has been turned into an online event.

He will be walking non-stop for nine hours on November 21 at the Jack Lovelock track at Mt Roskill.

The following day will see him walking continuously for another nine hours at AUT Millenium Stadium in Albany.

With nothing but a carefully-chosen playlist that includes Suzy Cato's Sprinkle a Little Sunshine and – in true Kiwi style – three pairs of jandals, Callaghan is steeling himself for the walk.

The 55-year-old has invited people to join him for a few laps.

"You don't have to wear jandals. That's just how I flip flop. "

But he urged participants to be sun safe and, "slip, slop, slap."

Callaghan said he was blown away by the donations- so far he has raised $2,941.11.

"As so much has been donated on the page, I am doing this for all those who are going through cancer, ones we've lost (too many just recently) and the survivors," he said.

Callaghan was first diagnosed with melanoma in 2015, but in 2017, on his birthday, he was told the cancer had spread and that it was at a critical stage four.

Doctors discovered several tumours on his spine and put him on radiation treatment.

He said in March that the tumours had shrunk, but that had caused damage to his spine which means he can't ever run or make any sudden movements.

Sixty three New Zealanders are diagnosed with cancer every day.

The Cancer Society provides vital services and support to people affected by cancer, funds life-saving cancer research and does important work on cancer prevention.