The Tigers will be throwing their support behind Yorkshire Cancer Research's attempt to set a world-record for the number of people bouncing on space hoppers at the charity's first ever Big Bounce event on Sunday 2nd May.

The event will take place around the KC Stadium. For details on how you can be part of this record-breaking attempt visit www.bigbounce.org.uk

One of those who will be lending his support is City goalkeeper Matt Duke, who gave the following interview in the build up to the Big Bounce.

Matt Duke knows what it's like to be told you've got cancer.

He also knows what it's like to win the fight and go on to play Premier League football.

The Yorkshire-born keeper is too modest to talk about the strength he found from within to face testicular cancer square on.

But if it was guts, bravery and determination that helped to see him through to the other side, there's another key factor he's quick to flag up. It's called common sense.

"Check yourself regularly, and if you think there might be a problem, don't be shy about going to the doctor and getting yourself checked out," he says.

It's a simple message, but one so easily ignored by younger men, who are the likeliest to suffer from this particular form of the disease. The experts say that men are less likely to admit when they think they might have a problem.

Instead, they go into denial and hope the problem goes away. By the time they realise it's getting worse, it can often be too late. And yet most people will survive testicular cancer - if it's caught early enough.

It was January 2008 when the Hull City keeper first went to the doctor.

"I'd noticed this lump for a couple of months and didn't think much about it really. But after a while I thought I'd better get it checked out," he said.

A trip to the club doctor was quickly followed by a scan which confirmed cancer.

"I remember feeling just shocked. Cancer is a scary word to hear so it was just a massive shock.

"Everything happened very quickly after that. Within a couple of days I'd had the surgery and then a bout of chemotherapy.

"There were times when I feared the worst but I took the positives from what the doctor said about it being something I could bounce back from.

"Thankfully, they had caught it early and after a couple of weeks, waiting for my immune system to recover from the chemo, it was a case of recovering steadily," he said.

"The club were fantastic. The manager (Phil Brown) told me to take as much time off as I needed and that was great because mentally I wasn't right for football for a little while."

Within 12 months, however, he'd made an extraordinary recovery - so much so that he'd broken into the Tigers' first team for the first time.

"I played in the third round of last season's FA Cup and then forced my way into the first team in the Premier League."

His top flight debut came at West Ham in January 2009 and although Hull lost, Duke saved a penalty and produced a string of outstanding saves.

Nine top flight appearances followed before the end of the season and he's made a further six Premier League starts this term - the last in early December.

Since then the 32-year-old has vied with Boaz Myhill for the keeper's jersey at the KC Stadium.

Currently, he's behind the Welsh international in the pecking order but the experience of the illness has helped him handle not being in the side.

"I still love the game in the way that I've always done but I do think a little bit differently. I try not to let things worry me quite so much as they might have done before I was sick."

* The Tigers will be supporting YCR's attempt at setting a world-record for the number of people bouncing on space hoppers at the charity's first ever Big Bounce event on 2 May 2010, which takes place around the KC Stadium. For details on how you can be part of this record-breaking attempt visit www.bigbounce.org.uk 

* If you would like to support Yorkshire Cancer Research by getting involved in a major event, or even organising one of your own then call 01423 877 210 and speak to our events team, or visit www.ycr.org.uk/events for more information and ideas. 

* You don't have to be a top sportsman or women to support the work of Yorkshire Cancer Research. You can make a donation to YCR simply by texting Hope to 82727. Texts cost £3 plus your standard network rate. Yorkshire Cancer Research will receive approximately £1.90 from each message sent.