The Team at Reading Half Marathon 2011

We all know that life can be very good and at the same time very cruel and sometimes major problems arise to test everybody’s strength.  This happened to us in July 2010 when our son Stuart phoned to say that his wife Amanda had been diagnosed with breast cancer.  For Stuart and Amanda and their sons Donnie and Freddy this would be their greatest test but, due to their combined strength, faced what was looming up in front of them.  Amanda had a lumpectomy and we all positively felt that that would be that.  Sadly she was diagnosed with an aggressive grade 3 cancer of the breast and at 31 years old, this was a bit of a bombshell for the whole family. Chemo started in September and ended in December.

Teams of people guided her through those long and strength sapping times. Donnie and Freddy were told their mummy was sick and needed treatment but were not told what the illness was.  Amanda never complained. 

Stuart and his brother Simon decided to run the Reading half marathon to raise money for awareness for Breakthrough Breast Cancer.  Amanda selected Breakthrough, because she knew the charity strives to save lives and change futures.  Not to be left behind, I decided to join them and so did my son-in-law Gary (Gun).  Amanda’s brother, Gary, joined us so the team of 5 had been formed.

The race went off very well. The team (all dressed in pink!) kept together at a pace which was suitable for all of us.  With encouragement from spectators we all finished in just under 2 hours 20 minutes. We're pleased that Amanda has now completed her 18 sessions of Radiotherapy, her hair has started to grow back and we are all now just looking forward.

Roger Williams