If you're wondering why 4 women in their 40s are planning a gruelling 9-day trek up Mount Kilimanjaro, it's because they have all been touched by breast cancer in some way.
Deb Hunt
I work part-time as a CRB administrator for Oxfordshire Association for Young People – Oxfordshire’s oldest children and young people’s charity and volunteer once a week for Macmillan.
My life is very different today to how it was 18 months ago. On April Fool’s Day 2008 I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer (and it was no joke!). A mastectomy quickly followed and then 18 weeks of chemotherapy and 5 weeks of daily radiotherapy (with the weekends off for good behaviour!).
From the beginning I decided to hit this thing head on and found an inner strength that I wasn’t aware I had. This may be a strange thing to say but having cancer has been a positive experience in my life and I can honestly say that I have never laughed as much as I have done over the past year.
Cancer is about enjoying and appreciating your friends and family, it’s about life and making the most of what time you have and it’s about taking on a challenge and succeeding.
So here we are, myself and three great friends taking on a massive challenge that will test us in lots of ways but with the knowledge that 1 in 9 women get breast cancer and with 6 beautiful daughters between us, the urgency for a cure is all the more relevant.
Kilimanjaro; just a little hill that we need to climb – bring it on!
Annemarie Smith
I love my life, my family, my friends, what more could I ask?
As a family we have had our share of sadness and from this I believe you should live your life to the full. This is one of the reasons for climbing Kilimanjaro. The second is to give back something to the Breakthrough Charity for helping my friend Debbie. She is my inspiration. When I feel too tired to go for a run I think of all she has been through. I am so exited to be climbing Kilimanjaro with 3 good friends. I know we will help each other in making it to the summit. My only concern is the state of my hair at the end of the 9 days!! (Shallow I know, but a girl needs to wash her hair).
Helen Taylor
I am a Physio, which means I am expected to be at least a little fit, but time to fess up to the fact that running for a bus would leave me gasping for a respirator!
Not quite sure what came over me on that fatal evening at the pub, but we gulped down a glass of our local’s finest house white, and decided that it would be a smart idea to raise a bit of money for Breakthrough Breast Cancer and attempt a little walk up a hill. We had all been affected in some way by breast cancer, and had been so inspired by our friend Deb and her ‘kick ass’ attitude to her illness, and so the decision was made. So here we are, committed and going for it.
Now, where did I put my glass of vino??
Audra Selley
I have worked as a Mental Health Nurse for the majority of my career, however set up a company 6 years ago with my partner Steve and now I work full time in the pylon industry (How did that happen?!).
So, why do I find myself about to climb Kilimanjaro?
My family have been hit very hard by cancer. Dad lost his fight against cancer 12 years ago. Mum was diagnosed with breast cancer at the same time, undergoing a mastectomy and all the treatment the doctors could throw at her and then my sister Debbie, at just 40 years old, was also diagnosed with breast cancer.
When Debs, my best friend and fellow team mate, was diagnosed last year it was the final straw! So it’s time to fight back and do my bit, I am lucky to have three equally mad friends to take this challenge on with. I hope we can make a difference.
