Sophie’s story: why we all need to Race for Life

Sophie McCallum, 25, from Lewisham, is putting on her war paint and appealing to mums, daughters, grans, friends and colleagues to unite and form a “pink army” at the Race for Life events taking place across the capital this year.
Sophie was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2004 when she was just 14. She underwent seven months of chemotherapy which she juggled with studying for her GCSEs. Fortunately she responded well to treatment and it is now ten years since she was told she was in remission.
Talking about her experience, Sophie explained: “It felt like a smack around the face when I was told I had cancer. I was on a school choir tour in Europe when I first discovered the lump on my neck. We’d just done a concert and I’d been play fighting with my friend when they asked me what was on my neck. I had a lump about the size of a ping pong ball on the right of my collar bone. As soon as I got home I went to the GP and within a fortnight I’d had tests and been referred to Basingstoke Hospital. I was very casual about it, I never thought it would be something serious.”
Sophie began receiving chemotherapy at Southampton Hospital in August, and in September went back to school as normal. She continued: “It was hard at school knowing what to say to people. I wrote a letter which was given to each tutor group and one student read it out. It basically said this is what I’ve got, please don’t be weird and treat me differently.
“When my hair fell out it was really long and brown. I was really sad about losing it but I decided I had to let it go so I shaved it into a Mohawk which was fun. I had a fantastic group of friends who were really supportive and stuck by me – in many ways it brought us closer.”
Sophie did well in her GCSEs and went on to go to college, but what she had been through caught up with her and she decided to drop out. She started to think about where her true vocation lay. She said: “It was when I got a job working in a nursing home that things started to fall into place for me. I realised I really enjoyed making people feel okay and being there for them. I went to an adult college to do an access course and then in 2010 went to Cardiff University to study nursing.”
Sophie said: “My final year three placement was in haematology and oncology which was such an amazing experience. I met people with the same disease I had had. It was tough seeing how things worked on a cancer ward as it was very different to the experience I had which was mainly as an outpatient. The care I saw there made me realise this was the area I wanted to work in. I just felt that it was the most honest thing I could do. I knew what it was like and I’d been there.”
Sophie has now qualified as a chemotherapy nurse at Barts Health NHS Trust. She said, “I love my job at St Barts. I think if I can just make one person’s day a little bit better that’s what matters. I don’t go around telling my patients about what happened to me but every now and then when I think it is appropriate I will talk about it so they know I’m saying things from experience, not just to be nice. I’m thrilled to have qualified as a chemotherapy nurse and I’m really looking forward to putting my training into practice.”
Explaining why she wants us all to go running, Sophie said: “Thanks to research and treatment I’m still here today. Now I’m determined to recruit an army of women to take part in Race for Life. By standing together in the bid to beat cancer, we can fight back against this devastating disease and show cancer that hell hath no fury like a woman in pink. I hope lots of Londoners seize the opportunity to show cancer who’s boss by signing up to Race for Life.”

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About Race for Life
Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life, organised in partnership with Tesco, is an inspiring women-only series of 5k, 10k and Pretty Muddy events which raise millions of pounds every year to help defeat cancer by funding life-saving research.
Race for Life is the UK’s largest women-only fundraising event series with over 300 events around the UK from May to the end of September. Women and girls of all ages, abilities, shapes and sizes from all over the UK join together to walk, jog or run to raise money to help beat over 200 types of cancer affecting men, women and children.  All women are welcome, regardless of whether they are taking part on their own or as part of a group.
It’s easy to take part and raise money as a group, with the introduction of a simple to use online group entry process. For the runs, the entry fee is £14.99 for adults and £10 for girls under 16.  The fees cover the costs of staging the event series and means that money raised in sponsorship can go to help beat cancer.
Pretty Muddy is a new event: a women-only, non-competitive 5k obstacle course – with mud. The 30 Pretty Muddy events across the UK are open to women and girls over 13, of all fitness levels, Pretty Muddy isn’t about blood, sweat and tears – it’s about fun, friendship and fundraising to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured. Each Pretty Muddy event will have 8-10 obstacles, plus a few surprises in between. There will be a combination of messy and muddy obstacles, climbing obstacles and crawling obstacles. The entry fee is £19.99 for adults and £10 for girls under 16. Participants with pre-existing medical conditions are advised to seek advice from their doctor before registering.
Race for Life started as one event in 1994 at Battersea Park with 680 participants. Since then, 7.7 million participants across the UK have raised over £691 million to fund Cancer Research UK’s vital work. Cancer survival rates have doubled since the 1970s, but more funds and more supporters are needed to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured.
Fiona Murray, Race for Life senior event manager in London, said: “Every hour, more than three people are diagnosed with cancer in London. That’s why we are calling on the brave ladies of the capital to help make this year’s Race for Life our best ever. It doesn’t matter how fit or fast you are because Race for Life is not competitive.  It’s about an army of women standing shoulder-to-shoulder to take on cancer. We urge local women to sign up today.”

Race for Life in East London
•Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Pretty Muddy (from 9am), Stratford, Sunday 21st June
•Victoria Park 10k (9am) and 5k (11am), Bow, Saturday 27th June
•Race for Life half and full Marathon, Lee Valley Park, Sunday 4th October
•To enter Race for Life today go to raceforlife.org or call 0300-123 0770.
Cancer Research UK is the world’s leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research. Cancer Research UK receives no government funding for its life-saving research. Every step it makes towards beating cancer relies on every pound donated.
•For further information about Cancer Research UK’s work or to find out how to support the charity, please call 0300-123 1022 or go to www.cancerresearchuk.org.