Yahoo News ‘I want to walk the equivalent of a marathon every week’ – Allyson, 60, sets herself a charity challenge after twice being treated for cancer
An East Yorkshire woman is planning to walk the distance of a marathon each week in May to help raise funds for vital cancer research.
Allyson Kent, 60, is taking part in Yorkshire Cancer Research’s “We Walk for Yorkshire” challenge, after twice being diagnosed and treated for cancer. Her marathon challenge will contribute to a collective total of 31,000 miles throughout May, representing the number of people diagnosed with cancer in Yorkshire each year.
The campaign aims to encourage people to get outdoors and enjoy being active. It will also raise awareness of the important role exercise plays in cancer prevention and treatment.
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Allyson said: “I think being able to ‘Walk for Yorkshire’ is a fantastic thing. As a proud Yorkshire woman I want to be involved and raise awareness of how the charity’s work is making a difference to people in the region.
“I want to walk the equivalent of a marathon every week, which works out at four miles a day. I live in a close-knit village, and there’s lots of people with dogs, so I’m hoping I can get a team of people walking for Yorkshire together.”
Allyson was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019, after it was detected during a screening appointment. The cancer was found early, and she had a surgery to remove the lump and radiotherapy to treat the cancer.
“Before cancer, exercise wasn’t part of my day-to-day life,” she said. “I’d come home from a day at work and be so exhausted that I’d just want to sit in front of the TV.
“Since my diagnosis, while some days have been really tough, I’ve found that walking is important for my mental and physical health. I walk whatever the weather – rain, wind, snow, I’ve got to be out there for my own wellbeing.
“It’s a bit like a metaphor for living with a cancer diagnosis, it’s tough, but walking helps me, I love being out in nature, nothing is going to stop me. I’m out there, feeling the wind on my face.”
A year after being treated for breast cancer, Allyson began to notice pain and bloating in her stomach. She spoke to her GP about the symptoms and was referred for a scan which showed that she had ovarian cancer.
Allyson said: “I was in shock when they told me that it was ovarian cancer. Because I’d had breast cancer, they did tests to see if the ovarian was as a result of this, but the tests showed that it was another primary cancer.
“I had the fluid that had built up in my stomach drained, and then started on three rounds of chemotherapy, before my planned surgery, which I found really hard. I realised that during treatment I felt better in the morning, so I’d go out for my walk then before resting in the afternoon.”
Exercise after a cancer diagnosis can help reduce side effects from treatment, speed up recovery, and reduce the likelihood of the cancer coming back by up to 66 per cent. Dr Kathryn Scott, chief executive at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said: “There is growing evidence that exercise plays a vital role in cancer treatment and recovery, as well as helping to prevent cancer.
“That’s why we’re inviting people across the region to get active and take part in ‘We Walk for Yorkshire’. Not only will it help raise funds for vital cancer research across the region, the challenge is also an opportunity for people to come together, enjoy everything our region has to offer, and do something positive for their own health and wellbeing.”
Yorkshire Cancer Research funds world leading research and services in exercise and cancer. The charity runs the Active Together programme, a service which offers people with cancer in Yorkshire personalised exercise, nutrition, and wellbeing support.
People can sign up to take part in We Walk for Yorkshire on the charity’s website, where they can choose their own challenge and set up a fundraising page to share with friends and family. To find out more about the campaign and sign up to take part, visit ycr.org.uk/WeWalkForYorkshire
