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Fundraising

We bought a one-way flight to South America to Walk 100 Miles for Breast Cancer Now

Emma and Jo wearing their pink Breast Cancer Now t-shirts with a snowy mountain in the background.

Emma watched both her sister and mum go through breast cancer. 20 years after her sister went into remission, Emma and Jo bought a one-way flight to South America. Discover how they’ve fulfilled a life-long dream and took on our Walk 100 Miles challenge.

Tell us about how cancer has impacted your family

My sister, Jo, was diagnosed stage 3 breast cancer in November 2006. She had a highly invasive, Her2 positive oestrogen receptive ductal carcinoma. She was just 33 at the time. Jo had 7 months of neo-adjacent chemo, followed by a lumpectomy and 3 weeks of radiotherapy. She was on Tamoxifen for 5 years and was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy induced by the chemo.

Last May, our mum also got diagnosed with breast cancer and has undergone chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Both mum and Jo have had genetic testing and, despite multiple members of our family having had various forms of cancer, neither have a cancer gene.

In 2016, I was diagnosed with a benign tumour in my skull. I had a craniectomy to remove the tumour, and a titanium plate put in my skull.

Why did the Walk 100 Miles challenge appeal to you?

Watching two people you love go through treatment for breast cancer makes you re-think your life and your own mortality. I am so incredibly proud of their strength and positivity. So we decided to turn what has been a challenging year into something positive.

We both love the outdoors and hiking. Jo never let her cancer diagnosis stop her pursuing her love of travel and has since travelled all over the world. Jo and I have also done lots of travelling together and we have a very special bond as a result.

In September 2025, Jo got made redundant from her role as an Associate Assistant Headteacher/Art Teacher at a secondary school. Although this caused her a lot of personal upset, she drew positives from it and jumped at the chance to spend some quality time with our mum.

In February 2026, I decided to throw caution to the wind and I handed in my notice as a Deputy Headteacher/Geography teacher.

We’ve always wanted to travel around South America, so we bought a one-way flight in April. In May 2026, we walked our 100 Miles in high altitude conditions, wearing our pink T-shirts with pride. It marked 20 years in remission for Jo and 10 years since my surgery.

What was a highlight of doing the Walk 100 challenge?

We shared our travel adventures in South America and raised money for Breast Cancer Now - a cause that is very close to our hearts. People always comment that Jo and I are smiley. So we set up a fundraising page called Smiles Doing Miles, with the tagline ‘sisters overcoming adversity through adventures’.

During mum’s treatment, we sent her pictures and funny video clips of us on our hikes. We decided to share some of these on our page to show that there is hope after a diagnosis and plenty of reasons to smile.

As well as raising awareness, I also hope to acknowledge the impact that a cancer diagnosis has on those watching loved ones go through it. I am very fortunate to have had a very supportive network of friends and colleagues who have helped me immensely.

How did you and Jo feel at the end of the 100 miles?

The first thing we did was to call our Mum, who is going through treatment, to tell her. It was a great sense of achievement, and we were proud to have raised awareness and money for such a wonderful cause.

We enjoyed counting down the miles each day and knowing we were getting closer to our goal. We felt healthier, stronger and uplifted at the end of our challenge.

What are 3 top tips you’d give to anyone thinking about doing the Walk 100 Miles challenge?

  1. Any distance is progress. Our toughest walk, both mentally and physically, was our shortest! We walked 3 miles up to 5,036 metres above sea level. No matter the distance you cover each day, getting outside – whether walking solo or with others – helps to spread the message and improve your health and wellbeing.

  2. Wear your pink T-shirt with pride. You'll be amazed at how many people offer encouragement during your walks. We had a lovely chat with a young couple at the top of Machu Picchu whose family had also been affected by breast cancer.

  3. Follow the Walk 100 Miles social media pages. We loved seeing everyone's pictures and stories; it motivated us to keep going.

  • Emma and Jo sitting on a raft made out of logs. They're wearing their pink Breast Cancer Now t-shirts and one of them is steering the raft using a very long branch.
  • Emma and Jo standing by a mountainous ridge holding their pink Breast Cancer Now T-shirts.
  • A selfie of Emma and Jo at Machu Picchu. They're holding their arms up and wearing their Breast Cancer Now t-shirts.
  • Emma is standing at Machu Picchu in Peru wearing her Breast Cancer Now t-shirt and holding her Walk 100 Miles distance tracker. She's smiling at the camera.
  • A woman wearing a Breast Cancer Now t-shirt is standing in front of a small lake surrounded by rocky landscape. She's holding her arms up and out to the side and is smiling at the camera.

Do you feel inspired by Emma and Jo’s story?

Walk 100 Miles this October and raise money for life-saving research.

Walk 100 Miles in October