David ‘Heavy’ Whalley on ‘last fight’ after terminal diagnosis

He said he knew something was not right with his health about five years ago as he was losing weight and not feeling well on his regular hillwalking trips.

But it wasn’t until after the Covid pandemic, in March this year, that he got his diagnosis, and then learned how to cope with the news and deal with what comes next.

He is known in the climbing community by his nickname, “Heavy”, given to him when he joined the RAF, due to being 5ft 4 inches tall and weighing just seven stone, which belied his spirit and determination on rescues.

Heavy said initially when he met friends and told them about his health he would “burst into tears” but that actually helped as it “cleared my emotions.”

“I was told I had six to nine months (to live), so I’ve already had three of them,” he said. “So we just have to keep going and see what happens.”