3 challenges in 4 months, for a truly incredible cause...

Hello, I'm Becky! This is my story:

In 2018, at age 15, I found a lump on my right shin. After getting it checked out at my local hospital, I was told that my case was too extreme for their care and that I was to be transferred to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) in Stanmore, London, for further treatment.

After some investigation, I was diagnosed with a rare type of bone tumour (<1% of all bone tumour cases) inside my right tibia. This [pretty scary!] diagnosis at a pivotal time in my teenage years left me in a lot of pain and with compromised mobility; causing me to eventually become a walking-stick user.

At age 16, the tumour had meant that I wasn't even able to walk to the end of my street without a mobility aid - something which knocked my confidence greatly.

In September 2018, I underwent major surgery to remove the tumour and reconstruct my tibia with a bone graft and metal implants. Although recovery was not easy; the specialist knowledge, facilities, and care that RNOH provide made my time as an inpatient as comfortable as possible, and above all, allowed me to have my life back.

In the years following my surgery, I gradually regained my mobility — a journey that sparked a profound gratitude for my health. This renewed perspective led me to take up running and ignited a deep desire to explore the world through hiking and travel.

Unfortunately, towards the end of 2022, I started getting pain in my leg again and found a second lump. (Can't catch a break!)

In the summer of 2023 as I graduated from university, I underwent a second invasive surgery at the RNOH to tackle this. The treatment was a success, however this put me back to square 1 in my mobility progress.

SO...

This year, I’m pushing myself to take on three pretty hefty challenges all in aid of the incredible Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital and the truly life-changing work they do to rebuild the lives of patients with complex bone tumours and sarcomas.

I truly do not know where I would be today without their specialist knowledge and care.

CHALLENGE 1/3:

On May 17th: I’ll be hiking for a week to summit Africa's Mount Toubkal; the highest peak in the Atlas Mountains and the highest mountain in Northern Africa, standing at 4,167m/13,671ft above sea level.

CHALLENGE 2/3:

On June 8th, I will be running the Southend Half Marathon. (Aiming for a sub 2 hour PB 🫣)

CHALLENGE 3/3 (the BIG one):

On August 3rd, I will embark on the greatest challenge of my life: traveling to Tanzania in an attempt to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro — the highest free-standing mountain in the world at 5,895m/19,341ft. above sea level!

The steep ascent will not only test my physical endurance , but the high altitude and resulting low oxygen levels add a further layer of difficulty. With an intimidating success rate of only 45%-60% due to altitude sickness, the challenge is undeniably daunting.

Kilimanjaro holds particular emotional significance for me as it has been a goal I’ve aspired to accomplish since I stumbled upon a YouTube video about it during my teenage years - while recovering from my first round of treatment at the RNOH. I made a promise to myself that one day, I too would stand at that summit.

For this reason, attempting to reach its summit will be a true celebration of my recovery and regained mobility. (There may be tears!)

Any sponsorship support -no matter how small- for my challenge and the incredible work of the RNOH would be hugely appreciated.

About the RNOH Charity:

The RNOH Charity strengthens the vital work of the RNOH on an ongoing basis by providing extra services and facilities that are beyond the reach of the hospital’s NHS budget.

There’s so much your donation could do:

-£10 could help buy materials for a therapy and rehabilitation session

-£25 could help us continue providing the best possible treatment and care for RNOH patients

-£50 could contribute towards the transformation of our spinal cord injury day room

-£100 could help us ensure our world-leading clinicians have pioneering equipment

-£500 could help fund ground-breaking research into the treatment of bone cancer and rare sarcomas

From the bottom of my heart, thank you so so much for your support.

-Becky x