Sarah-Jane Phillips

So after the initial treatment of surgery and 8 sessions of chemotherapy I decided to embark on the path to a healthy and fit lifestyle. I started with gentle walking and gradually built this up to power walking miles every day.

Unfortunately I then faced a second mastectomy and reconstruction, but on this occasion the reconstruction failed. I knew that I wanted to have another attempt at the reconstruction, so while waiting for surgery exercise gave me the focus and relaxation that I needed.

So I gave myself one more opportunity to make the operation successful and am delighted to say that after 24hrs of the most excellent and patient surgery my reconstruction was a 100% success.

I had the most amazing, caring medical team in all areas of my treatment. My plastic surgeon has just done so much for me that I will always be so grateful and appreciative of him.

I believe so passionately that I had the best people looking after me and I wanted to prove how grateful I was so decided to get focused again and planned to run the Virgin London Marathon!

My treatment would not have been as successful as it was if it had not been for all the pioneering and research that has been undertaken by Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

It was a complete privilege to run the marathon on behalf of Breakthrough and I couldn't believe how successful the fundraising went, being completely overwhelmed with the level of support that I received leading up to the event.

At the outset the target of £2000 was such a huge amount of money to raise. We had all of these ideas of how we could boost my fundraising and in the end decided on Afternoon Tea Party in the Village hall to rival Tea at The Ritz. It was so successful all the community really pulled together and baked cakes for us to serve with tea on the day. The whole afternoon was buzzing but it brought home how many people locally have been affected by this disease, but most importantly, they may have suffered but they are thriving and in good health today.

My husband held a golf day at a local golf club, which all his friends and work associates were very happy to support.

Then we culminated the series of events with a Pink Party in our local pub on a Sunday afternoon, with an auction and raffle. Everyone was incredibly generous with donating prizes and gifts for the day.

So as I endured the 26.2 miles route I am proud to say that I raised a staggering £10,289. My time may not have been great but it was an incredible personal achievement to make.

I dedicated my run to my beautiful family who have given me so much love and confidence throughout, and also my medical team who were paramount in helping me through my journey and allowed me to stand so proud and look and feel so amazing after a long road.

Sadly the week of the marathon my close friend's mum was diagnosed and is now making her own personal journey.

It is so reassuring to know that money raised to date will really be used find a cure and as you say eradicate the fear of breast cancer completely.