Hi everyone, my name is Emma Muldowney, I'm 24 years old and I am honoured to be this year’s Dublin City County Champion for the VHI Women’s Marathon!

18 of my incredible friends (all listed above) and I will be doing the Mini Marathon in aid of the Irish Cancer Society, a cause which affects so many of our lives. My main motivations for volunteering are to raise much needed funds to support cancer patients and to raise awareness of the importance of regular health checks for people of all ages.

The Irish Cancer Society offer hugely beneficial services such as funding vital research into new treatment methods and providing free counselling and support lines to cancer patients and their families. It is an extremely personal cause for me having experienced the huge benefits of their support services whilst going through my own cancer diagnosis and treatment this year.

My diagnosis could not have come as a bigger shock, being a 23 year old who had never experienced any serious health issues. I was diagnosed with a very rare form of ovarian cancer, which mostly affects young women in their 20s. I am still processing the shock of this moment as I never expected to receive a cancer diagnosis at my age.

My treatment involved invasive abdominal surgery and an intensive chemotherapy regime.The side effects of chemotherapy were very difficult to manage and there were many days that I felt like I could no longer take it. But trying to remain positive and believe in myself was so important for my mind and body. As I tried to cope with the reality of losing all of my energy and hair, supports such as the Irish Cancer Society became so important for me.

The theme of this years’ Mini Marathon is ‘The Power of Me’, which celebrates the power of someone to make a difference in their own life and the lives of others. This theme really resonated with me as I have experienced its importance every day during the past year. Learning to believe in the power of myself to overcome cancer was a huge step in my journey. I also experienced first hand the power of the support of other people, as I was overwhelmed and hugely affected by the kindness of my parents, brothers, boyfriend, extended family, friends, health professionals and so many others every single day.

I am so incredibly blessed to be currently cancer free and in the recovery process. 6 months ago I struggled to even think about getting out of bed and now I am lucky enough to be able to train to complete a 10k run. The past year has completely changed my perspective on everything, as I have learned the true fragility of life and wake up every day thankful for my health. I am now passionate about wellness and think that it is so important to get to know all the needs of our bodies and minds.  

The decision to share my story has been a difficult one as I am still learning to accept what happened to me. However, I think that it is so important to raise awareness of cancer in young people and show that there is a light at the end of the tunnel for those going through something similar. I am urging every single person to go to a doctor straight away if they have any medical concerns, no matter how small they may seem. Doing so saved my life and could save the lives of so many others.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story and supporting the cause. Donations of any size mean everything to the Irish Cancer Society, me and so many others. I hope that funds raised can help all of those people still going through the physical and mental impacts of this devastating disease.