A Cardiff solicitor has completed the London Marathon just a year after she began chemotherapy to treat blood cancer.
Lucy Strong was diagnosed with Stage II Hodgkin Lymphoma in early 2022 when she was on maternity leave following the birth of her daughter Lily.
She underwent four months of chemotherapy followed by three weeks of radiotherapy and was given the all clear in December. Exactly four months later, on Sunday, she completed the marathon course, raising more than £9,000 so far for Lymphoma Action, the charity which provided invaluable support during her treatment and recovery.
’Running the marathon was a cathartic experience for me and I was determined to enjoy it,’ she said. ‘On the course I kept thinking to myself how lucky I was to be there. I looked at the crowd and I was so grateful to be there and alive and I couldn’t stop thinking of those who sponsored me and got me through. I wasn’t worried about times, I just didn’t want to be the last person still going when they’re trying to sweep up behind you.’
Strong, a partner with national firm Hugh James, specialises in supporting those diagnosed with the terminal asbestos-related condition mesothelioma.
She spent much of her working life prior to her own diagnosis helping clients access cancer treatment and support centres in Cardiff, then found herself accessing those exact same services for her own condition.
She faced a two-week wait to discover if her cancer could be treated and Strong said her initial relief was mixed with a feeling of guilt that many of her own clients were not so lucky.
‘This has made me more determined than ever to fight for those people,’ she added. ‘I want to carry on helping those charities invest in treatments and show people with mesothelioma they can live longer and better.’
Strong had entered the race with long-time friends Lynne Hirons and Laura Humphrey, who have also helped to raise funds for Lymphoma Action. She had not run properly since the birth of her son Ralph 10 years ago and was severely hampered during training by the exhaustion of her treatment and the fact that the affected area was her throat and chest, making eating very difficult.
‘I didn’t realise how tired and fatigued I would get and some days I had no energy at all. I just kept thinking of the support I had had and that I couldn’t give up.’
Strong is now on a phased return to work and added that her firm had been ‘absolutely brilliant’ during the last year.
To sponsor her, follow this link.
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