‘My marathon effort after beating cancer’
A YEAR AFTER TREATMENT, RUTH IS SET TO RUN BACK-TO-BACK MARATHONS
A MUM who has overcome an aggressive form of cancer is running back-toback marathons through the Sahara desert – just one year after treatment.
Ruth Naylor, an operations director from Hale, was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma – a form of blood cancer – in August 2017.
The 34-year-old mum-of-two was in the throes of building a new business and initially put her overwhelming tiredness down to her busy lifestyle.
But after feeling exhausted for several weeks she went to the GP and tests revealed a large tumour intertwined between her lung and her heart.
“Hearing the words ‘it’s cancer’ was the worst shock of my life. I just couldn’t believe it was happening to me”, Ruth said.
“My mum died at the age of 47 of liver cancer and went from diagnosis to death in just five weeks.
“I kept thinking of my own children and was faced with losing everything.”
She began eight months of chemotherapy treatment followed by radiotherapy at The Christie Hospital.
She said the treatment was ‘brutal’ and took her away from her children Eva, six, and Oscar, four.
“I lost weight due to chemo sickness, I lost my waist-length blonde hair, and I lost my eyebrows and eyelashes,” Ruth added.
“Looking in the mirror, I didn’t recognise myself, and my confidence plummeted.”
Looking to rebuild her confidence, Ruth started jogging in the countryside near her home between hospital visits.
She said despite there being days when she felt too sick and only managed a crawl, getting outdoors and moving ‘got her through the treatment.’
Now, after overcoming the disease, Ruth will take on two marathons in two days through the Sahara desert.
She has ramped up her training regime in preparation for the challenge and completes one long run a week, as well as doing aerobic and resistance work.
“I want to show others that they can also get through this disease and adversity – by putting one foot in front of the other”, she said.
All money Ruth raises goes to Manchester Beats Cancer – a newly-created fundraising committee she chairs.