Hockey international Jez defies the odds to play for Scotland 100 days after lifesaving surgery

It’s a summer’s day in Nottingham in June 2023. And a very special one for Jez Lawson and his family. 

Today’s the day he’ll take to the hockey pitch to represent Scotland in the Over 50s European Championship, a World Masters Hockey event. As a gold medal winner in the previous tournament four years ago, Jez can’t wait to get on the pitch for his country’s opening match. 

But there’s another reason why this moment means so much. Because today marks 100 days since Jez had lifesaving prostate cancer surgery. 

In fact, it was in the same week he was selected for the Scotland squad that he was also diagnosed with the most common cancer in men. 

“I’d set myself an ambitious goal to be fit enough to play in the tournament,” said Jez. “So it was an incredible feeling to pull on the Scotland jersey and stand alongside my team mates again.”  

A routine visit to the physio that led to a chance diagnosis of prostate cancer

Turning back the clock to one year earlier, Jez is a fit and healthy man in his early 50s. He’s recently celebrated 20 years of marriage to his wife Clare, and they have two teenage children, Evie and Jake. The family live together in Sevenoaks, Kent, with their cat Ice and Black Labrador Luna.  

Jez works as a leadership coach and has recently co-founded a business to help people living with tinnitus. He likes to stay active with regular exercise, particularly enjoying his hockey and football.  

At this point in his life, prostate cancer is the last thing on his mind. But in March 2022, everything is about to change. 

After a routine visit to the physio, a chain of events leads Jez to have some blood tests done – and by total chance, they include a PSA test. Surprisingly, the results reveal a PSA level that’s higher than normal for men of his age. A follow-up MRI scan finds nothing of concern but doctors decide to keep a close eye on Jez with regular tests. 

“I’m usually a man of action, so after a while my instincts told me to be proactive – even though I still had no symptoms,” Jez recalls. “My urologist agreed to take biopsies in January 2023 and it was later that month that I was diagnosed with high-grade, aggressive prostate cancer. 

“It was quite a shock and difficult to digest. I had no symptoms and was playing all my sport as normal. Physically, I felt absolutely fine.” 

Getting more men like Jez diagnosed early could prevent up to 40 per cent of prostate cancer deaths and save thousands of lives every year. 

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‘I had no symptoms and felt absolutely fine – it was a shock’

Despite the shocking results, Jez and his family remain calm and keep things in perspective – if the cancer hasn’t spread beyond the prostate, there’s a good chance it can be cured. 

And six weeks after his diagnosis, Jez gets some good news. A further scan confirms the cancer hasn’t spread, which means surgery to remove his prostate could stop it in its tracks.  

“You just want to know if it’s ‘only’ having your prostate removed, or if it’s progressed to other parts of the body, and what that might mean,” said Jez. “While abdominal surgery is no walk in the park, it was a huge relief for Clare and me to hear that it was curable. 

“On 22 March, I had robot-assisted surgery to remove my prostate at the London Clinic. The team were brilliant and I was in great hands.” 

In the weeks after his surgery, Jez follows his doctor’s medical advice and takes a slow and steady approach to recovery. But once the healing process is complete, his attention turns back to hockey – and his goal to play in the European Championships. 

With just seven weeks to go until the tournament gets under way, he gradually ramps up his strength and conditioning programme with the help of a physiotherapist. And Jez also has the backing of the Scotland team, friends at Old Georgians HC where he’s played for 30 years, and his nearest club Sevenoaks, who kindly allow him to train with them. 

Starring for Scotland on the international stage, only 100 days after surgery

During this period, Jez has great support from his friends and family. And it’s only a few weeks later that he's running onto the pitch to take on France in Scotland’s opening game of the tournament. Remarkably, only 100 days after his lifesaving surgery, Jez strikes to score the opening goal of the game. 

“Before my diagnosis, I like to think I had a pretty good approach to life – and what’s really important,” said Jez. “But this experience has certainly validated that.

“My wife and I managed to stay relatively upbeat throughout this whole period and we felt it was important to keep our sense of humour and a sense of perspective – because things could always be worse.” 

Too many men are diagnosed at a later stage, when prostate cancer is harder to treat

As a fit and active man in his early 50s, Jez never thought prostate cancer was something he needed to worry about at his age. And he was only diagnosed by complete chance after visiting his physio for an unrelated sports injury. 

Across the UK, far too many men are diagnosed by chance – and often when it’s too late for a cure. That’s why early diagnosis is so important. Because if you find it early, it’s much easier to treat. 

With more funding for vital research, like our £42 million TRANSFORM trial, we can boost the odds of finding prostate cancer earlier. And get more men like Jez a lifechanging early diagnosis. 

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