Hey, I'm Dawn, thanks for taking the time to visit my just giving page. I am a proud two-time breast cancer survivor, and this September, I'm taking on a triathlon at Hever Castle with the incredible Team Phoenix Foundation.

My story began in December 2019, it was the day before my birthday when I got diagnosed with breast cancer. I was very lucky, my appointment ended up being almost a year after I was meant to get my first mammogram, delayed by me for one reason or another. I cannot imagine what would have happened if I hadn’t bothered to book it and waited 3 years before I got the next appointment, that does not even bear thinking about.

My life fell apart as did that of my family. The fight had just begun. Then ensued many hospital trips having a lumpectomy, a sympathetic reduction followed by radiotherapy, immunotherapy and chemotherapy. I faced it head on, it was not going to get the better of me under any circumstances. I finally got discharged in February 2021 and could not have been happier. Life was somewhat different after that as it was always at the back of my mind but I had to move forward and not dwell on the past. In September 2023, after a routine mammogram, it was back! The absolute audacity of it, who knew it had such grande kahoonas! #fellapartagain.

Back to the oncologist to discover what was the best way forward. It was agreed this time to have a mastectomy and reconstruction and so the date was set in January 2024. After recovering from that, I had 12 rounds of chemotherapy and 18 immunotherapy treatments, the journey was long, much longer than I cared to comprehend but the countdown was on. I was feeling physically sick at the thought of attending the treatment appointments, it was really hard going. I lost my hair so I bought some amazing colourful wigs to give me some much needed confidence and obviously so I could look stunning at all times. My husband was with me every step of the way as were my family and friends. I don’t think they have any idea what that meant to me. I did want to stop it all but the thought of it coming back again if I did not see the treatment through was my main concern so I battled on. I completed all the treatments in March 2025 and proved to cancer who has got the grande grande kahoonas!!!!

This isn't just a race to me - it's a celebration of resilience, recovery, and the power of community. We will be doing a 400m swim, 20km bike ride and a 4km run. After everything cancer has thrown at me, crossing that finish line will be a symbol of strength, hope, and the belief that we are so much more than our diagnosis.

Team Phoenix empowers women like me to reclaim our bodies and our confidence through sport, and I’m so proud to be part of this journey along with the women who I am doing this with. Every donation helps support their life-changing work, helping survivors turn the page and write new, powerful chapters.

If you'd like to support me on this journey please feel free to donate! Every penny counts 💜