“When I feel like stopping I’ll think of my mum” – Islander takes on trio of challenges as tribute to mum battling cancer

When Phoebe Le Breton found out her mum, Nicky, had been diagnosed with breast cancer aged 44, she felt “helpless”, like there was “nothing she could do to help”.

“In the heavy moments that follow a diagnosis I wanted to do something more than just watch,” the 20-year-old said.

But rather than letting that feeling linger, she decided to channel it into something positive.

I wanted to turn “helplessness into action”

In pursuit of turning her “helplessness into action”, she decided to do something to raise money for the charities that help families like her own.

After researching online about different challenges she could undertake, she settled on not one, but three: the London Landmarks Half Marathon, the Lake District 100km Ultra Challenge and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

These “large scale” challenges resonated with her in particular, because she feels they “reflect the scale of difficulties that so many families go through.

“These charities work on the frontlines”

She’s set up a GoFundMe page with the aim of fundraising £1,000, and has already raised more than £500 so far.

All funds will be donated to three charities that are each “really special to her” – Macmillan Cancer Support, Dig Deep and Breast Cancer Now.

“Most importantly they give hope to individuals and families when they need it most and our donations make that lifeline possible,” Phoebe said.

Of the challenges ahead of her, she said: “I won’t pretend this is easy. There will be early mornings, sore muscles and days that push me to my limit.

“But when I feel like stopping I’ll think of my mum and every family who needs someone in their corner.”

The first challenge, the London Landmarks Half Marathon, is just a month away, taking place on 12 April.

Meanwhile, she has more time to train for the Lake District 100km Ultra Challenge on 6 and 7 June and her climb of Mount Kilimanjaro that begins on 27 August.

It feels like “we’re motivating each other”

She described how when she shares training updates with her mum she “seems happy” and that it feels like they’re “motivating each other”.

Her mum, who works at a local building merchant, has just finished five months of chemotherapy and is awaiting an operation to remove a “couple of tumours”.

Phoebe said it is “quite inspiring” seeing how her mum handles her “harsh and invasive” treatment.

“Seeing her strength inspires me to really push through,” she explained.

“It is very intense training”

Phoebe, who is in her first year of studying mechanical engineering at university, has been balancing her training alongside her studies.

“I have done a little running in the past but I have never taken part in any races before and climbing Kilimanjaro will push me outside of my comfort zone,” she said.

I’ve been trying to make it part of my routine around my studies, building up my mileage and preparing for elevation

Phoebe Le Breton

“I’m trying to work on oxygen utilisation as well as climbing a couple of mountains in the UK to practice.

“It is very intense the training. I’m learning how to recover from the intense challenges I’m putting my body through.

“It has been difficult but that is the reason behind it”

“It has been difficult, but that is the reason which is motivating me – and the support and encouragement from others has kept me going.”

This includes, she explained, support from people at a university who she said she had been “grateful to gain expertise and knowledge from”.

These small acts of kindness from others who have helped her out, she said, are what the key message of her challenges is all about.