A PERSONAL trainer has died of cancer at the young age of 34.
Allan Cherry, owner of Build To Last Fitness in Mapplewell, died at his home on August 8 - just three weeks after being told the disease had returned.
Allan was diagnosed with melanoma, a type of skin cancer, in May last year and had an operation to remove it. But he was told in July this year the disease had spread to his liver, lungs and lymph nodes.
Since his death, his wife Jade, 29, of Spark Lane, Mapplewell, said she had received hundreds of tributes and messages - a testament to how popular he was.
“Allan was so popular, everyone loved him. I’ve had message after message, it felt like the whole of Barnsley. I’ve read everyone’s messages and every (Facebook) status. It’s been amazing and it means a lot.
“Everyone is more shocked more than anything. I wish I could get to everyone’s messages but there are so many I can’t keep up.
“I think a lot of people are sad because he is not going to be in their lives anymore.”
Jade said Allan, who was originally from Royston, had always been interested in fitness, had never smoked and very rarely drank.
She added: “I want people to realise how incredibly quick it was. How shocking it is that with all the technology, they still couldn’t keep up with him, no matter how much you can do for someone. Even now there’s research and it’s amazing what they can do, but just how progressive that disease can be.
“I think in everyone’s daily lives they get caught up in things and don’t realise what is important. But really it is about spending time with each other and I think this has made people realise that a lot.”
Jade said Allan’s dream had always been to open his own gym, and Build To Last, on Wentworth Road at Mapplewell, had about 500 members.
She told how Allan ran the gym himself, offering personal training, and how he would spend all hours there from 7am to 9pm.
“He has always been into fitness, it’s just what he’d always wanted. After the army, he did his personal training qualifications and it just stemmed from there.
“When you do your qualifications it opens up a whole new world of different styles of training. Allan found that bodybuilding was his key and ended up getting into serious shape and it went from there.”
Allan’s gym is currently being kept open by a group of friends and members who have set up a group rota to cover shifts and keep it open.
Jade said: “They are keeping it alive at the moment and we are so grateful.”
The couple, who had been married since 2014, enjoyed watching films and regularly went to the cinema. But Allan insisted on visiting the Parkway cinema because he wanted to help keep local businesses open.
Jade also said Allan was a family man, and spending time with his family was very important to him.
His sister, Lesley, 36, said at 6ft 5ins, Allan had been described by a lot of people as a ‘gentle giant’.
She said: “He never made anyone feel worthless. He would have a bit of banter and things like that, but he would never disrespect you.
“A lot of people have messaged to say he has helped them. He has been described as a gentle giant by a lot of people.
“He was funny and serious, he was a bit of everything. People were drawn to him.”
She and Jade praised the medical team who helped care for him.
Jade said: “It all makes a difference, even the small things such as cups of tea. The things you don’t think are important, are.
“Even the cleaners who came and cleaned his room; everyone went above and beyond what they were required to do.”
Allan’s funeral will be held on August 28 at St John’s Church in Royston at 1.45pm and afterwards from 3pm at The Civic on Station Road.
