Walking together was overwhelming and wonderful

Tell us about your experience with breast cancer

June 2023 didn’t feel very different from any other month. Except I felt a thickening in my left breast. It didn’t seem like much to worry about, and I thought I was too young for it to be breast cancer. But 3 and a half weeks later, I got my diagnosis. It was cancer. 

How did you cope with treatment?

I spent the rest of the year in a haze. It surprised me how low I felt during my treatment. One of my coping mechanisms was to learn everything I could about breast cancer, including the treatments, the impact on families, and the emotional effects.

The Breast Cancer Now booklets, website and forum were my lifeline. It really helped to feel like I wasn’t the first person to go through breast cancer. There were others just like me. 

How are you feeling now?

I feel uplifted by the amazing breast cancer community. When I finished my treatment, I took part in a Moving Forward course with people who’d had a similar experience to me. After the course, someone set up a WhatsApp group to keep in touch, and it’s still active almost a year after the course.

After I finished my treatment, I wanted to regain my physical strength, and I was also looking for a way to give back to Breast Cancer Now. I wanted to help the charity continue to support people affected by breast cancer. I soon discovered the Pink Ribbon Walk, which was amazing. It was a perfect opportunity to get active while fundraising and raising awareness of early detection.

How did you start planning for the walk?

In May 2024, I captained a team of 20 walkers for the Blenheim Palace Pink Ribbon Walk. I started with a list of family and friends who were most likely to say yes. And then it snowballed. Friends of friends found out about it and wanted to join in too.

I created a WhatsApp group where we shared training plans and local walking routes. We also arranged lifts for the day and checked in on each other during the walk.

The hardest part of getting organised was just asking people if they were interested. It turns out a lot of people are secretly looking for ways to improve their fitness and just need a nudge. One of us even recruited a friend the night before the walk! She was the last person to cross the finish line after walking 20 miles, and she absolutely loved it.  

How did you set up your fundraising, and how did it go?

I set up a team on JustGiving. We all fundraised using our individual pages. We shared them on social media and through friends and family. In the end, we raised a total of just over £3740. And we decided to do it again this year!

What did you enjoy most about the Pink Ribbon Walk?

There was an amazing sense of community and support on the day. Walking together was overwhelming and wonderful at the same time. There was so much joy.

Where are you walking this year?

This time, we’re walking 10 miles at Chatsworth. In October last year, my family and I moved to the beautiful town of Buxton, on the edge of the Peak District. We’ve been drawn to dramatic landscapes for a while, and I think my cancer diagnosis was a bit of a wake-up call. We thought, ‘What are we waiting for?’.

After moving, the Chatsworth Pink Ribbon Walk was a no-brainer. We’re walking as a team again, and I’ve already got 7 team members signed up. It’s still early, and I hope to get more friends and family involved.