WITHIN the space of six months Claire Wevell from South East Cornwall was diagnosed with two different cancers.

Having spent years fundraising for Cancer Research UK when her mum had gone through the disease, she now faced her own diagnosis.

Claire, 52, took part in Walk All Over Cancer back in Feb 2021 knowing she had cancer and found it therapeutic. She often walked with friends and family and always with her Labradoodle Macy.

In doing so she raised £3,000. This year she is encouraging everyone to get in their 10,000 steps during March to help Cancer Research UK in their mission to help beat cancer.

She said: “I walk most days and I try to fit walking in between work and other events I have going on. I live in the best part of the South West and I am spoilt for fields and beaches to walk across and best of all it keeps you fit and makes you appreciate things a lot more.”

Claire who is a dental practice manager and lives near Looe, knows first-hand just how important new breakthroughs are to help more people like her to survive.

She explained: “It was devastating when I was told I had cancer. Nothing can prepare you for those words. I had seen my mum go through skin cancer over an 11-year period and decided to help the charity when I helped launched Relay for Life in 2008.

“I hope people in Cornwall will follow in my footsteps and Walk All Over Cancer this March. Everyone can go at their own pace and build the steps into their day-to-day routine, whether they walk on their own or with family and friends. The important thing is every step will help Cancer Research UK to keep making great strides in the fight against the disease.”

Claire discovered she had cancer of the womb in February last year, just six months later she found out she had breast cancer through a routine mammogram. She had a mastectomy just three days before her 52nd birthday.

“It has been a tough time dealing with the emotions that come with a cancer diagnosis and it does make you appreciate life more and to see things differently.

Early diagnosis is key to better outcomes and I hope that If I can help one person see their GP early then I will be pleased.”

In the South West around 37,300 people are diagnosed with cancer a year.* But, thanks to research more people than ever across the UK are surviving their cancer for 10 years or more.

This year marks 20 years since Cancer Research UK was formed and to celebrate its birthday it is paying tribute to supporters like Claire for the part they have played in this progress.

The charity’s history, however, goes back much further to the founding of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund in 1902 – meaning its work has been at the heart of some of the biggest developments in cancer, including some of the most used cancer drugs around the world today.

Alison Birkett, Cancer Research UK’s spokesperson for the South West, said: “Every day we see the benefits of research we’ve previously funded being realised, helping people live longer and healthier lives. So as we mark our 20th anniversary, we want to say a heartfelt thank you to Claire and people across Cornwall for their incredible commitment to the cause.

“1 in 2 of us will get cancer in our lifetime**, and so we will never stop striving to create better treatments for tomorrow. That’s why we need everyone to step up to Walk All Over Cancer. It’s a safe and simple way to show support during these challenging times and a great way for homeworkers to increase their daily step count.

“Plus, knowing you’ll be helping to save and improve lives for generations to come is the ultimate motivation. We’ve come so far. And we will go much further. Together we will beat cancer.”

Ten thousand steps are equal to about five miles, based on the average person’s strides, so by the end of March participants will have clocked up more than 150 miles.

That’s quite a challenge for some but adopting small changes that you can stick to can really add up – whether it’s taking part in conference calls on the go, exploring local beauty spots or treating the dog to a month of extra-long walks.

Keeping check on the number of steps taken each day is a great way to create a sense of achievement and it’s easy to do with smartphone apps, pedometers and wearable activity trackers available to help. Walk All Over Cancer participants can connect their online giving page with FitBit to automatically publish their step count and share their progress with their supporters throughout the month.

Cancer Research UK was able to spend over £2 million in the South West last year on some of the UK’s leading scientific and clinical research. The charity’s ambition is to see 3 in 4 people survive their cancer by 2034.

To sign up and receive a free fundraising pack and t-shirt, visit cruk.org/walkallover.