Giving hope to those affected
by secondary breast cancer
Research. Support. Education.
Giving hope to those affected
by secondary breast cancer
22nd September 2023 by Lianne Bryce
Miranda took part in three charity fundraising events to raise money for Make 2nds Count in memory of her mum, Barbara. On 1 July Miranda took part in her very first sprint triathlon. On 5 August she then took part in a 10k run. Finally, on 3 September, she and her husband completed a 10k Wolf Run.
Can you tell me a little about yourself?
My name is Miranda and I am 31 years old, currently living in London with my husband, Ben, and our three spoiled fur children - Bonnie and Oscar, our two tabby cats, and Luna, our naughty little house rabbit. We spend most of our time cooking delicious food we love to eat, watching great films, spending time with friends and family, and going for long walks out in the countryside. We love spending time outdoors and are in the process of selling our flat in South London, with plans to buy a house out in the countryside so we can do more of the walks we love and just generally enjoy life (we can't wait to have a garden!).
Can you tell me how you first became aware of Make 2nds Count?
I was no stranger to the topic of cancer since my mum had primary breast cancer when I was little and I also work as Co-Head of Publishing at a membership organisation for radiologists and oncologists so I see cancer-related content daily through work, however I was not very knowledgeable of the charities specifically focussed on fundraising for it, especially secondary breast cancer. I actually came across Make 2nds Count because after my mum was diagnosed, I ended up following a fantastic woman on Instagram (@nicknacklou) who was living with secondary breast cancer but bringing so much positivity into the world through her social media; raising awareness of the disease and the importance of early diagnosis and checking your breasts monthly. She had mentioned Make 2nds Count in some of her posts and so I became aware of the charity and the work you do.
Can you tell me more about why you chose to fundraise for us?
I chose to fundraise for Make 2nds Count after the sad loss of my lovely mum. She passed away in August 2021, three and a half years after being diagnosed with secondary breast cancer, which was a recurrence from the breast cancer she had when I was little. It took me a couple of years after losing her to get to the point emotionally where I could do this sort of fundraising, as I did not process the loss very well and so before this summer it would have been too triggering for me to do such activities. However, after lots of therapy and feeling much more emotionally ready, this year I really wanted to push myself outside of my comfort zone and do some charity fundraising events that would challenge me, help raise money for such an importance cause, but also be things I know my mum would be proud of me for taking on. I chose to do three events this summer; a triathlon, a 10k run, and a 10k Wolf Run. I hoped that the money I raised would help fund research that would ultimately lead to better treatments for women like my mum.
I completed my very first sprint triathlon in July 2023, which was a huge challenge. Before my training I was not a strong swimmer and could only do breaststroke, plus I could barely ride a bike (super wobbly!) so I had to do a lot of training to get me to the point where I could complete a triathlon! I was extremely nervous on the day and felt very sick, however I managed to do all three phases and my transitions all under 2 hours which I was so pleased with, and I know mum would have been proud too.
In August 2023 I completed a 10k run which was also challenging - I am not really built to be a runner and I find it hard to motivate myself to run. In addition, I had been having some back problems so it was not the most comfortable or easy of runs but I completed it in 1 hour 8 minutes, which I was really pleased with!
Finally, in September 2023, I completed a 10k Wolf Run. My husband also did this one with me, and although it was really challenging and my whole body ached and was scratched and bruised afterwards from scrambling up and down river banks, it was so much fun! It was essentially a 10k wild running course, which involved 30 obstacles - a mixture of wild swimming, climbing, crawling and lots and lots of mud...!
All three events were huge challenges for me, but every single one I enjoyed and am so glad I did them. I hope mum would be proud of me and my achievements, and in the end I managed to raise £1,500 for Make 2nds Count which was fantastic.
Why is it important to you to have a charity dedicated to secondary breast cancer only?
Secondary breast cancer is not very well understood by the general public, nor does it receive as much research funding as it should. I believe secondary breast cancer patients are perhaps sometimes seen as less urgent or less important as they are incurable, however it is so important to provide these people with treatment options that extend their life and improve the quality of it too. I think it is important to have charities dedicated to secondary breast cancer so that through campaigns people can be educated about the disease and the importance of early diagnosis, and in addition more money can be raised to enable crucial life extending treatments to be developed for those living with secondary breast cancer.
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