A BOURNEMOUTH cancer survivor is inspiring people to Race for Life at home and carry on the fight against the disease.

Lucy Jackson has been steadily rebuilding her life after completing her treatment for breast cancer and was hoping to spend this summer helping to stage Race for Life events in Bournemouth and across the south.

But with the annual Cancer Research UK fundraiser events in Dorset postponed until later this year, Lucy has pledged to complete her own Race for Life at home challenge instead – and has roped her husband Steve in too.

Lucy, 49, is pledging to walk 50,000 steps every week during the coronavirus lockdown – walking for her daily hour of exercise and clocking up the rest at home.

Steve, 53, is an avid cyclist who has taken part in numerous charity rides including the Rotary Dorset Bike Ride. With this year’s event sadly cancelled he will be completing a Race for Life at home challenge on two wheels instead, after setting up a turbo trainer in his garage.

The couple, who live in Iford, had their worlds turned upside down when Lucy found a lump in her breast and was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer – a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer.

Lucy, newspaper sales manager at the New Milton Advertiser and Lymington Times, underwent chemotherapy, breast and node-removal surgery and 20 sessions of radiotherapy. She also took part in a clinical trial supported by Cancer Research UK.

Lucy said: “It was hard going, but I wanted to take part in the trial and help other women like me facing this type of cancer in the future.

“After my surgery I was told I was cancer-free. It was the best possible outcome.

“The year that followed was extremely hard both physically and mentally, but now I’m rebuilding my life and growing stronger every day.

“Taking part in Race for Life at home is a great motivator in these strange times. We’re all going to be spending a lot of time indoors this Spring so it feels good to take back some control and plan something positive to help me and to help people who are going through cancer right now.”

Thanks to the generosity of people across Bournemouth and Poole, Race for Life participants last year raised more than £220,000 to support vital research to develop gentler and more effective treatments for cancer.

Many of the scientists and researchers funded by Cancer Research UK are currently being redeployed to help in the fight against Covid-19, including assisting with testing. By helping to beat coronavirus, the charity can lessen the impact it is having on the care of cancer patients.

Jenny Makin, Cancer Research UK’s spokesperson for Dorset, said: “At a time when it feels like everything is at a standstill, there is one thing that hasn’t stopped, cancer.

“Our priority as a charity is ensuring that people affected by cancer are getting the support they need right now.

“But we are already getting people asking about doing Race for Life at Home because they don’t want to see the charity lose out on vital funding. It’s truly humbling to see the response.

A new date for Race for Life in Bournemouth has been set for October 18.

Visit raceforlife.org or call 0300 123 0770. Join in and share with #RaceForLifeAtHome