WHEN dancer Katie-Marie Martin steps into the spotlight, audiences see a confident performer – but behind every routine lies a story of remarkable resilience.

Katie-Marie, 27, grew up in Torpoint, where her mother, Julie Martin, is the town’s mayor. Just two years ago, she was diagnosed with a rare spinal cancer called sacral chordoma, which affects only one in a million people worldwide.

Today, after gruelling treatment and months of rehabilitation, she is back performing and inspiring her community with her strength.

Her journey began with severe back pain, which at first seemed like a slipped disc. Concerned, her mother paid for a private MRI scan, which revealed an 11cm tumour in Katie’s spine.

“It was shattering,” she recalled. As a professional dancer preparing to start a new job, the diagnosis felt like her career had ended overnight.

Instead of surgery, doctors recommended proton beam therapy at University College Hospital in London. Before beginning treatment, Katie underwent a fertility-preserving procedure to move one of her ovaries away from the radiation site. For six weeks, between June and August, she endured two sessions of proton therapy a day.

The treatment stopped the tumour from growing and eventually shrank it to a third of its original size. Katie has since nicknamed the tumour “Timmy” and accepts it will likely always remain with her.

“I lost lots of muscle during my treatment. I have less mobility and can’t run because I don’t have the stamina,” she explained. “But I’d rather be tired from doing something I love than tired from being ill.”

Remarkably, just three months after finishing therapy, Katie stepped back on stage. Since then, she has performed in six amateur productions, adapted to her new physical limits with the help of supportive producers, and started teaching dance.

For her mother Julie, Katie’s determination has been both humbling and inspiring.

“Katie has always been really strong and pragmatic,” she said. “I have always taken my lead from her. The fact that she is back doing what she loves is great.”

The town has rallied around Katie and her family, supporting fundraising events for Sarcoma UK, the charity dedicated to research into rare cancers. Katie herself has become a voice for awareness, sharing her journey with thousands of followers online under the name ‘Chordoma Katie’. In 2023, she was recognised nationally when she won the Young Sarcoma Voice Award at Sarcoma UK’s Shining Star Awards.

Her story also highlights the urgent need for more research. Kate Quillin, acting head of research at Sarcoma UK, said: “While Katie-Marie has responded well to proton beam therapy, this treatment isn’t suitable for everyone. That’s why research into potential new drug treatments is so important – it could give patients like Katie-Marie even more reason for hope.”

Back in Torpoint, Katie continues to balance her health with her passion for dance, proving that her diagnosis does not define her.

“I do get tired easily, but I’d rather do something to warrant being tired than just be tired from being ill,” she added. “I limit myself, so I can overachieve.”