Freya with puppy Teddy
“Just a couple of weeks after finishing four months of chemotherapy for breast cancer, I took part in The MoonWalk London, completing the Full Moon (26.2 miles) overnight walking challenge with friends. Signing up for The MoonWalk had given me a positive goal during my treatment and the chance to raise money for those in a similar position to myself. I now feel like I’ve taken a massive step towards taking back control over my body.
I only turned 30 in early 2026 but have already been diagnosed with three types of cancer.
Aged 16, I had a rare sarcoma in my thigh. Then at 22, a type of bone cancer was discovered in the middle toe of my right foot. I had surgery both times, but no further treatment and moved on with my life.
Having had cancer twice, I was given genetic testing, but when this came back clear, my doctors decided to give me whatever screening they could going forward. This included an annual breast MRI scan. During one of these scans, a 2cm lump was found and I was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2025. It was a lot to take in. My third cancer diagnosis, at the age of just 29. I hadn’t been able to feel the lump myself and without the scan, my breast cancer would almost certainly have been found much, much later.
My treatment this time has been far more complicated – a preventative double mastectomy and immediate reconstruction (nine hours of surgery), months of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and the start of years of hormone therapy. My body is now covered in scars – from my nipples to my toes and some days I feel like a character from a Frankenstein film!
Me in 2018, awaiting biopsy
To give myself a goal during my recovery – and to help support others like me – I signed up for the Full Moon (26.2 miles) walking challenge at The MoonWalk London in May 2026 with my wonderful friends Gabby, Sophie and Chloe.
However, over the coming months, the toll of chemotherapy grew and some doubts started to creep in. I was off work, struggling with the side effects of chemo and recovering from a huge operation. But the goal of The MoonWalk was still driving me on.
I have a walking pad at home and managed some short sessions without leaving the house! The little walks started to add up. My doctors had told me that walking and moving during chemo would be good for me and would help my body find a rhythm. It certainly did that.
As time (and my chemo) moved on, I became more realistic. The furthest I’d managed in training with Gabby and Sophie was around three hours. That was still a lot of walking, bearing in mind what I was going through and I was very proud of myself. Realistically, I thought we could definitely complete a half marathon on the night of The MoonWalk, (still a huge achievement). But I’m very stubborn…..so who knew! The full marathon was still a possibility.
My chemotherapy finished just two weeks before The MoonWalk London.
We arrived at the MoonWalk Arena at Clapham Common and getting to the start line was the first big win! I wondered to myself whether 26.2 miles would prove to be just a little bit too far, but I wanted to give it a go. I was interviewed on stage about my story in front of all the other MoonWalkers. Seeing so many other people in the crowd who were all uniting together for the same cause somehow made the challenge ahead seem less lonely and scary.
At The MoonWalk start line
We set off and our plan was to aim for baby milestones! I live in London and know the city well, so when we reached Tower Bridge, I knew that we had done the south side of the river. We continued into the City and walked past several flats where I’ lived previously. Then we passed the Marsden Hospital, where I was treated – it felt like a walking tour of my life!
We reached ten miles and then halfway. Walking as a team was amazing and we helped each other through the highs and lows. I could sense that my friends were looking at me and thinking “if Freya’s doing it – we need to as well”! We dragged each other through.
I felt ok at halfway and decided to keep going. Our next milestone was getting around the top of Hyde Park. We told each other that the sun would be rising soon and that would make us feel different. It did! The coffee shops started opening – a sign that “normal” people were getting up and that the world was alive again. Whilst this wasn’t an actual mile marker, it was a noticeable physical change and the sign that a new day was starting.
Freya on stage before The MoonWalk
We reached 18 miles – just two more to go until 20! Once we hit 20 miles, we thought we couldn’t possibly not do the last six. We were in pain, but only had six miles to go, compared to the 20 we had already done. Stubbornness set in at this point!
The last few miles, I simply put one foot in front of the other.
My feet were covered in blisters – Gabby’s knee and Chloe’s ankle had gone. We were walking in silence, everyone focusing mentally on how we would get to the finish line.
The last two miles were tough. There’s a small hill from Battersea to Clapham, but after walking all night it felt really long! Nothing was going to stop me getting to the end – I was now so close and wanted to finish my marathon walk so badly. My body had been through so much and not by choice – I wanted to take back control and tell my body to do something instead!
I thought of the people who had messaged me and the people who had sponsored me. I didn’t want to go back to them all and tell them I hadn’t finished. Sheer, utter stubbornness on my part was getting me through. I thought about how I had done worse things – chemo is so physically demanding. If me finishing the marathon persuaded another person to donate more money, I knew those last few miles could make a difference.
We finally crossed the finish line. It was an incredibly emotional moment and it didn’t register immediately what I’d done. The exhaustion was huge. I felt relieved and also in shock that we had actually done it. Sheer disbelief that my body had carried me through.
Freya after completing The MoonWalk
A few days later, another wave of emotion hit – I was still sore, but so proud and on a massive high.
For days and weeks afterwards, we couldn’t believe we had finished a marathon. That feeling hasn’t gone away – it’s something I will be proud of forever.
Completing The MoonWalk London just a couple of weeks after finishing chemotherapy has been a huge part of my recovery. Following three cancer diagnoses, my life and body has changed for ever. I’ll be on hormone therapy for a number of years, having annual whole body and brain scans, my skin is being mapped and I still have lots of medical appointments. It’s hard, but I’m so glad that my doctors are looking after me as fully as they possibly can.
As I continue my recovery, my experience at The MoonWalk has given me the strength to say to others in the same position that your body can do more than you think. It can and will achieve hard things!”