The dual approach

The Audi Foundation to partner with health-promotion not-for-profit Cantoo.

Encouraging personal health and well-being while also raising much needed funds for early-career cancer research – the CanToo model is unique, but delivers results across multiple fronts.

16 October, 2025


It’s a doubled pronged attack. A classic one-two approach that tackles health and well-being by encouraging individuals to pursue their own fitness goals, while at the same time, raising funds to help the country’s next generation of cancer researchers.

Since its official inception in 2014, the CanToo Foundation has applied this dual-pronged approach to building healthier, more resilient communities as well as raising more than $35 million to aid the work of early-career cancer researchers.

It is this unique approach and proven track record that see the Audi Foundation lend its support to the ongoing work of the CanToo Foundation – building on two of the Audi Foundation’s pillars which focus on driving positive health outcomes and funding medical research.

Like most good ideas, it is a deceptively simple one, encouraging people to get involved in organised fitness programs, train with professional coaches and commit to raising money that supports early-career cancer research.

The idea came from Annie Crawford, a former corporate executive who wanted to make a difference to the lives of others after the loss of her father to cancer. She conceived of a way to take healthy, physical activities – in her own case a love for running – with some form of giving back to the broader community and making a genuine difference.

The idea caught on quickly and spread initially by word of mouth. Small groups steadily grew and over Tim a steady stream of initially runners, and then swimmers, all bedecked in the now familiar orange livery, began turning up at community sporting events with fundraising pages linked to their training.

CanToo was formalised as foundation in 2014 and since then it has gone from strength to strength, attracting tremendous support from those not only wanting help raise much needed funds for cancer research but also looking to improve their own health and well-being as well as enjoying the benefits of joining a group of like-minded individuals.

CanToo fitness programs have grown past just running and swimming events, taking on ever greater challenges which now include special ‘Beyond’ challenges where participants can choose their own adventure – from cycling tours to mountain climbs – but still channeling their fundraising into vital research. 

And this focus on emerging researchers has become a signature of CanToo. A scientist might be at the stage of testing a novel drug pathway, or exploring the new approach to tackling certain tumour types, but still lack the track record required for large government grants. It’s here that CanToo steps in with its funding, helping careers take hold and, in turn, keeping promising ideas alive.

There is no denying the appeal of the CanToo approach, with more than 22,000 people going through CanToo programs and a fundraising effort that to date exceeds $35 million. This translates to numerous research projects across cancer types receiving direct support, not to mention the countless personal benefits to those engaged in the training sessions and events.

Indeed, for the participants, the transformation can be deeply personal. CanToo doesn’t discriminate against those not in the peak of fitness, but rather encourages people of all ages and fitness levels to take that first step – the results from there are often extraordinary.

Even those who arrive with little or no fitness or experience pursuing physical goals find that by the end of a program, they have not only crossed the finish line and achieved a personal goal, but also raised much needed funds for research in the process.

What distinguishes CanToo is its insistence on community over competition. Age and fitness levels are not a factor and there are no barriers to entry. Coaches adapt training plans for absolute beginners and seasoned athletes alike and sessions are designed not only to build endurance but also to build confidence and camaraderie. The orange shirts at runs and swims aren’t just branding but are a visible sign of what has become a CanToo community.

This two-pronged approach to health ultimately has multiple benefits, not only for those taking part, but the researchers they help fund and ultimately, the benefits of that research on those diagnosed with cancer. One stated goal of CanToo is to find a cure and ultimately eradicate cancer, while the other is an ongoing community of people pursuing better physical and mental health as a part of life.