Abi’s swim challenge

Our Story I lost my mum, June, to lung cancer in 2016. One minute she was her usual healthy, unstoppable self and the next second she was painfully ill and almost unrecognisable. We found out on bonfire night she had aggressive stage 4 lung cancer and treatment, if she decided to have it, would only be in an attempt to give her more time. Even hearing those words in a grey, sad hospital room she was a vision of strength and dignity and to this day I don’t know how she managed to walk out of there the way she did because I didn’t. It was only 5 and a half months from hearing the news to the day she died. She was literally the hardest working person I’ve ever seen, no one comes close. So strong and such a force and so fiercely loving in an incomparable way. She was about to retire from a career looking after other people as a nurse and then as a carer and she had so much to live for, but cancer didn’t care. To watch someone who had such a strong presence in life literally fade away in front of me was the hardest and most devastating thing I’ve ever had to do and it still feels like yesterday. It’s probably only in the last 12 months I have started to come to terms with such a loss and been able to remember my mum without the cancer - I’ve learnt that doesn’t happen for a long time, but it does come eventually. Exercise and routine have remained a constant support in my life in the last few years and both have helped me move forward and to look ahead and not constantly back. There’s been so many times I’ve forced myself to get up and go to the gym or for a run and every single time I’ve felt better. That’s the power of exercise and being outdoors 🏃🏼‍♀️- it is a physical and mental therapy and a positive focus for so many people and because of this I have wanted to do something physical in memory of my Mum. To help contribute to the much needed funding into vital, lifesaving research I wanted to take on a challenge that held a personal connection for me and anything involving water does, which is why I wanted to do this in memory of my Mum #forJune. Every penny literally helps save lives, so please donate if you can. Thank you. Abi x #forJune 🌼