After Davina was diagnosed with primary breast cancer in 2017, she decided she wanted to give something back by fundraising for Breast Cancer Now.
After Davina was diagnosed with primary breast cancer in 2017, she decided she wanted to give something back by fundraising for Breast Cancer Now.
I was fortunate to be diagnosed early
My breast cancer was discovered very early on in the process, and I was very fortunate. I didn’t have to have any of the radiotherapy or chemotherapy that a lot of my friends have been through. But I know that, without the research that gets done and is continuing to be done, our chances for survival would not have been so great.
So, when I was diagnosed, I promised myself that - if everything was ok - I would run a half marathon for Breast Cancer Now. And it was. So, within the year, I was able to fulfil this promise and go a little way to say thank you for everything that this wonderful charity does.
I got really into running with my daughter
My family have been with me every step of this journey, either on the side-lines or literally running alongside me in every half marathon that I have done since.
Last year, while training for the Royal Parks half marathon with my daughter, Jessie, we decided that what we should really think about doing is the London marathon.
It started as a joke. But then we thought, well, maybe we should. Ok, it’s another 13.1 miles - but maybe with the training and all the rest of it we could do it.
So now we motivate each other to train.
Having a goal makes it easier
I think it’s actually quite easy to stay motivated when you have a goal for what you’re doing. And having Jessie running with me really helps.
Some mornings she doesn’t want to get out of bed, and some mornings I don’t - but having one another to stay motivated really works. Even when it’s raining, we could think, ‘We could just go home’ or, ‘It’s a bit cold.’ But one or the other of us is always good at saying, ‘No, we’ve got to do it. We’ve got to get out there.’
Breast Cancer Now is a special charity to be part of
Jessie and I have put down that we want to raise £2,000 each, which I hope we will make – or exceed!
We’ve got lots of things planned: a quiz night, a dinner, a blind date night, a shopping event… and Breast Cancer Now are incredible at supporting us through it all. They are great at giving advice, and with balloons and banners they make it easy to help us spread the word. They keep in touch through e-mails and phone calls and are constantly saying thank you – you never feel like you are doing this alone.
I think it’s a very special charity to be part of; partly because of what it’s for, but also because of the people that are helping to run it. It makes you feel very good about the world!
Be a part of something big. No matter what you choose to do, by joining Team Now you will be making a huge difference.