Whitby woman to cycle 100 miles for Yorkshire Cancer Research

A Whitby woman who finished treatment for cancer a year ago is aiming to cycle 100 miles to help raise funds for Yorkshire Cancer Research.

Louise Johnson is taking on the challenge as part of the charity’s Step Out for Yorkshire campaign, which is encouraging people to run, walk or cycle during the month of May to help prevent, diagnose and treat cancer in the region.

Louise, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2020, said: “I came across the campaign on Instagram, and I quite fancied taking part and helping to raise funds.

When Louise was diagnosed with cancer, she was initially given chemotherapy, and a 12-hour surgery in January 2021 successfully removed the cancer.

Louise explains: “It’s almost exactly one year since I stopped having treatment, and I now only see my doctor every few months to monitor my health.

“I’m pretty amazed and thankful for what I can do just over a year on. I was expecting it to take a lot longer to recover and get to where I am now.

“I can still do everything I used to do; swimming, yoga, cycling, walking the dog, all that good stuff.”

The keen mountain biker will be completing her 100-mile target across the month, aiming for 20 miles each weekend.

She’ll add in shorter rides during the week to reach her target, although she’s keen to surpass the 100-mile mark if she can.

Louise said: “I’ve ticked off my first ride and I’ve got another planned this weekend. Although I’d have liked to have done it in one go, my fitness still isn’t quite there after treatment so I’m breaking it up across the month.

“We’re very lucky living in Whitby. We’ve got the sea at one side of us and beautiful countryside at the other, and we have some gorgeous bridleways and roads. Of course, we’ve got lots of lovely cafés for mid-ride cups of tea and cake too.”

The funds raised through the Step Out for Yorkshire campaign will help fund experts and world-leading researchers who pioneer early cancer diagnosis and discover new and better treatments for people with cancer.