A ‘Can Do’ Attitude

TRY NEW THINGS

Post cancer – Trying new things is so exciting. I really do think this attitude helped me so much with my recovery. It gave a me a route to go down with looking to the future and looking forward to things. Going through cancer has made me even more adventurous. I’ve always been active but getting out the other side has stirred up this passion and desire to want to do as much as I can with my life. I looked for times where I knew I really wanted something. Knew I could make it work. Knew I could train for it. But all whilst listening to my body. Here is some of the fab ‘new’ things I’ve tried since my diagnosis.

  • Set up the Survive Be Alive project
  • Swam with Stingrays
  • Learnt to ski
  • Learnt to scuba dive
  • Did a flashmob
  • Learnt circus skills
  • Been on TV
  • Did my first triathlon
  • Did my first 100 mile bike ride
  • Started a Life Coaching course
  • Learnt to windsurf
  • Climbed Mount Snowdon
  • Completed a garden marathon
  • Completed the Three Peaks Challenge on my stairs
  • Painted a canvas

Pre cancer – Adventure was a big part of my life. The great outdoors meant so much to me. Always looking for that new opportunity. Always wanting to try something different. Living life to the max. Cancer knocks that. It can halt you. It can take away your confidence, or it can give you more confidence. I had to look back on what I’d done and achieved in my past to encourage myself to look forward and to try new things again. I was not the same person but I could draw on some of the qualities I have always had and I liked. Here is just a snippet of my life pre-cancer.

  • Held a snake and a tarantula
  • Skydived over the Great Barrier Reef
  • Abseiled down Ipswich Hospital
  • Bungee jumped off a crane
  • Parasailed in Tenerife
  • Cycled across Brazil and Vietnam
  • Learnt to surf in Hawaii
  • Zip wired across Ipswich Town Football Club
  • Ridden a camel across the desert in Jordan

AFTER CANCER – WHAT I DID NEXT

  • June 2014 – Race For Life 5km, Ipswich
  • July 2014 – Relay For Life Clacton – Survivors Lap
  • September 2014 – Relay For Life Cambridge – Survivors Lap
  • September 2014 – Fed the tigers at Port Lympne
  • October 2014 – Norwich Stand up to Cancer March
  • April 2015 – BBC Look East interview
  • April 2015 – Virgin London Marathon
  • May 2015 – Public speaking at the CRUK Virgin London Marathon celebration event, London
  • May 2015 – Started planning my 40 Challenges
  • August 2015 – Launched the 40 Challenges fundraiser
  • August 2015 – Walked over 50 miles one weekend as my first challenge
  • August 2015 – Twilight 10km, Ipswich
  • August 2015 – Dance with Ms Dynamite in Ibiza
  • October 2015 – Cycle Swarm 50 mile
  • November 2015 – Southwold 10km
  • November 2015 – Hadleigh 10
  • November 2015 – Scenic 7
  • November 2015 – Start of 40 sit ups for 40 days
  • December 2015 – Christmas Day North Sea Dip
  • December 2015 – Boxing Day Welly Walk
  • January 2016 – Dryathlon for 40 days
  • January 2016 – World Cancer Day collections with 40 miles on the cross trainer
  • February 2016 – Town 102 Interview
  • March 2016 – Farmhouse Five run
  • March 2016 – Sing in concert with the Felixstowe Community Choir
  • March 2016 – Ipswich town centre Flashmob
  • March 2016 – Colchester Half Marathon
  • March 2016 – Only the Brave 20 obstacles and 5 mile run
  • April 2016 – Brighton Marathon
  • April 2016 – Longest zipwire in the UK {At the time}
  • April 2016 – Climbed Mount Snowdon
  • April 2016 – Receive my #oneinamillion t-shirt for completing three London Marathons 1981-2016
  • May 2016 – Start of 40 days of 40 planks
  • May 2016 – Anything but the Cow Virtual Half Marathon
  • May 2016 – RSPCA Big Walkies event at Alexandra Palace
  • June 2016 – Haughley Friday 5 run
  • June 2016 – Pretty Muddy and Race For Life weekend, Ipswich
  • June 2016 – Public speaking at the start of Race For Life, Ipswich
  • July 2016 – Relay For Life Clacton
  • July 2016 – Culford Sprint Triathlon
  • July 2016 – Featured in That’s Life magazine
  • July 2016 – EADT feature
  • August 2016 – Ipswich Twilight 10km
  • August 2016 – Learnt to windsurf
  • September 2016 – Relay For Life – Bury St Edmunds
  • September 2016 – Archant feature
  • September 2016 – Stowmarket Sprint Triathlon
  • October 2016 – Cycle Swarm 50 miles
  • October 2016 – Martlesham 10km
  • October 2016 – 25 mile cycle with Franny Benali
  • October 2016 – Dublin Marathon
  • November 2016 – London landmarks challenge
  • November 2016 – Painted a canvas
  • December 2016 – ITFC Community Champion
  • December 2016 – Christmas Day North Sea Dip
  • January 2017 – Learnt to ski
  • January 2017 – Learnt to scuba dive
  • January 2017 – Learnt circus skills
  • February 2017 – 18 holes of golf in one day
  • February 2017 – 40 Challenges Grand Draw
  • February 2017 – Learnt to plaster
  • February 2017 – Tesco 50km cross trainer challenge
  • February 2017 – 40 challenges 10km celebration run
  • February 2017 – Front page of the EADT and Ipswich Star
  • March 2017 – Ipswich Star feature
  • March 2017 – Radio Suffolk interview
  • April 2017 – Heritage Coast Marathon
  • June 2017 – Race For Life Ipswich volunteering
  • July 2017 – Relay For Life Bury St Edmunds
  • August 2017 – Ipswich Twilight 10km
  • September 2017 – Great East Run Half Marathon
  • October 2017 – Lions Club of Tropical Gardens Breast Cancer Awareness event, Caymens
  • October 2017 – Swam with stingrays
  • October 2017 – Miami Foam Glow 5km
  • November 2017 – Blossom Appeal Ipswich Hospital feature
  • December 2017 – Christmas Day North Sea Dip
  • January 2018 – Set up and launched Run For Research
  • January 2018 – Became a This Girl Can Suffolk ambassador
  • January 2018 – Hadleigh Legacy 10km
  • February 2018 – World Cancer Day collections
  • March 2018 – Cambridge Half Marathon
  • April 2018 – Bungay Black Dog Half Marathon
  • April 2018 – Tesco Turns Pink campaign
  • May 2018 – Halstead Marathon
  • May 2018 – Suffolk Sunrise 40 miles
  • May 2018 – EADT and Ipswich Star features
  • June 2018 – Pretty Muddy Ipswich
  • June 2018 – Race For Life Ipswich volunteering
  • July 2018 – Relay For Life Colchester
  • July 2018 – Relay For Life Clacton
  • July 2018 – Relay For Life Bury St Edmunds
  • August 2018 – Ipswich Twilight 10km
  • August 2018 – Crafted Classique 50 mile
  • September 2018 – Great East Run Half Marathon
  • November 2018 – Awarded the Global Hero of Hope
  • December 2018 – Christmas Day North Sea Dip
  • May 2019 – Qualified as a Mental Health England First Aider
  • June 2019 – Orwell Challenge Half Marathon
  • July 2019 – Relay For Life Bury St Edmunds
  • July 2019 – Relay For Life Clacton
  • July 2019 – Ipswich Twilight 10km
  • July 2019 – Relay For Life Colchester
  • September 2019 – Framingham 10km
  • October 2019 – Martlesham 5km
  • December 2019 – Christmas Day North Sea Dip
  • January 2020 – Thetford 10km Trail Run
  • February 2020 – Tesco Stars collection for British Heart Foundation
  • April 2020 – Run 5km for the NHS event
  • April 2020 – 30 days of planks challenge
  • May 2020 – Article in the EADT
  • May 2020 – Garden Marathon
  • May 2020 – BBC Radio Suffolk Interview
  • June 2020 – Three Peaks Stair Challenge
  • June 2020 – BBC Radio Suffolk interviews
  • June 2020 – Martlesham road challenge 15 mile walk
  • July 2020 – Rendlesham Community Radio interview
  • July 2020 – Virtual Ipswich Twilight 10km
  • August 2020 – 50 mile cycle challenge
  • August 2020 – Interview with Tony Lloyd Radio
  • August 2020 – Featured by Humans of HIIT This Girl Can special
  • August 2020 – Martlesham Sprint Triathlon (Our own version)
  • November 2020 – 30 Mile Martlesham and Woodbridge Hike