A man was turned into semi-pro goalkeeper by an undiagnosed brain tumour - which made him grow to 6ft 6ins and develop large hands.<br /><br />Tom Mayor, 34, was always lofty as a child but put it down to genetics as his family are also tall.<br /><br />His hands were also large for his age and his ''fingers would swell up like a pack of large sausages''.<br /><br />Because of his height and big hands Tom became a semi-pro goalie and played for Northampton Town F.C and Leicester City Football Club Youth Academy.<br /><br />He was working as a footie coach in the US in 2014 when he started suffering migraines and a scan revealed he had an undetected brain tumour.<br /><br />Tom was also found to have rare growth hormone disorder known as acromegaly - made famous by the James Bond villain Jaws.<br /><br />Doctors believe the undetected tumour had probably caused the acromegaly - which had caused him to be so tall and have large hands.<br /><br />Tom is marking a decade since his first surgery by completing 10km of running, walking, swimming and cycling every day for 10 months for Brain Tumour Research.<br /><br />Tom, of of Wallingford, Oxfordshire, said: “I was always taller than my friends but never freakishly tall, my brother is 6’2 so is my dad.<br /><br />"My hands were large for my age and my fingers would swell up like a pack of large sausages. <br /><br /> “I was a goalkeeper and a very active child who got into a lot of accidents - but it was part of growing up! Never anything unusual.<br /><br />“I’ve always been tall which I put down to my family genes however, doctors told me my height was probably spurred on by the tumour.''<br /><br />Tom recalls his active childhood with fond memories - as he admits “never thinking anything of his height”.<br /><br />Tom, now an NHS programme manager, says his sporty upbringing meant he was kicked a lot and suffered multiple concussions.<br /><br />Ten years ago he developed a headache he describes as feeling like a ‘hangover' - then diagnosed with a pituitary tumour.<br /><br />Tom, who was coaching football in the US at the time, said: “I have never had a hangover because I’ve always had this headache.<br /><br />“The only way to describe it is like a pressure headache pressing by my eyes, like a constant push right on my forehead - it’s there 24/7 seven days a week and I have had that for 10 years.<br /><br />“All the medical professionals I have spoken to say I might have it for the rest of my life - a real kicker! <br /><br />“It was annoying, I took some tablets and it wouldn’t go away, I couldn’t sleep - I thought it was weird, wondering what it is and just trying to figure it out.”<br /><br />Tom explained that because the tumour lies on his pituitary gland it was “either dialing up or dialing down hormones which the pituitary was producing”.<br /><br />He was told he was “probably” born with the tumour, which gave him acromegaly <br /><br />Tom said: “You either get it at birth and you always have an obvious large body part, or around your growth spurt age.<br /><br />“But because I had a tumour, the doctors said I had probably had it from birth - if they had tested my growth hormone as a kid we would have known.”<br /><br />At some point Tom will have radiotherapy, which he says “will kill everything” and from that point he will have to manage the tumour.<br /><br />His first surgery removing part of the tumour has left him with diabetes insipidus - an excessive thirst that without medication means he can drink up to 20 litres a day. <br /><br />He said: “I now drink about nine to ten litres a day but with no medication it’s nineteen to twenty litres a day - if I drink for thirst I will be forever drinking.”<br /><br />Tom is marking a decade since his first surgery by completing 10km of movement every day for 10 months in aid of the charity Brain Tumour Research.<br /><br />His challenge will include running, cycling, swimming and any other method each day for that length of distance until October.<br /><br />Tom added: “I am not one to sit on my arse and think how tough my life has been - I call it my tumourversary because I celebrate the fact, I got my diagnosis because I wouldn't be who I am now. <br /><br />“If people could get diagnosed and treated earlier they wouldn't have to go through this, whatever brain tumour it might be - they are all horrible and debilitate your life in some way - awareness is what you need and if i can do a little bit to raise awareness, that is great.”<br /><br />You can view Tom's progress on his challenge here: https://www.instagram.com/10kadaytom/<br /><br />Support his fundraiser at: www.justgiving.com/page/tom-mayor-10k-a-day
