The MOVE Against Cancer Podcast: Recent Episodes
MOVE Charity
Welcome to the Move Against Cancer Podcast.
This podcast aspires to support and inspire people to move, exercise and live an active and fulfilling life despite a cancer diagnosis. We share the stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
We know that many people are scared to stay active during cancer treatment. We know that for some, cancer can take away the hope that comes from dreaming of a future. And we know many people diagnosed with cancer feel isolated and lonely.
We hope that by sharing the stories of others finding their own way through cancer, the Move Against Cancer podcast will provide hope, support and a sense of empowerment to anyone living with or beyond cancer.
Unfortunately, cancer will affect everyone either personally or through our loved ones and so whatever position you are in we hope you will learn and be inspired by our podcast. Thank you so much for listening.
In this episode, Sophie chats to Simon Darby MBE and Mark Adams. Simon has been a Young Lives vs Cancer Social Worker for 12 years and founded the MOVE Forward Programme in Northern Ireland, which is a CrossFit based exercise programme for young adults living beyond cancer.
This is an incredibly inspiring and uplifting chat and shows just how powerful exercise can be in changing the lives of those living with and beyond cancer. Find out more about MOVE Forward: https://www.younglivesvscancer.org.uk/life-with-cancer/i-have-cancer/health-and-wellbeing/crossfit-move-forward/
Simon Darby
Insta: @crossfitmoveforward @simon.younglives
Young Lives vs Cancer Social Work Manager- Northern Ireland
CrossFit Level 2 Trainer
Founder of CrossFit MOVE Forward
Adaptive and Inclusive Trainer
Mark Adams
Insta: @mark_adams_weightlifting_coach @mark__cf
CrossFit Level 1 trainer
British weightlifting level 1 and 2 coach
Visit our website and social media channels to find out more about what we do.
https://movecharity.org/
Insta: @5kyourway
Twitter: @cancer5kYourWay
YouTube: @moveagainstcancer
Henry is articulate, eloquent, funny and brutally honest.
During this conversation, among many things, we discuss:
· Henry’s experience of transitioning from eminent neurosurgeon to cancer patient.
· How a rational person can entertain irrational thoughts.
· The challenges of hormone therapy for prostate cancer.
· Finding the balance between empathy and detachment.
· What he thinks makes a good doctor.
· Hope – finding the balance between realism and optimism.
· Decision making as a neurosurgeon and as a patient.
· Failure as a doctor.
· Henry’s relationship with running.
· Why he believes assisted dying should be legalised and his thoughts about death.
· Why being a doctor still can be the best job in the world.
Twitter: @DrHenryMarsh
Erin’s now taken a temporary step back from rowing to finish her treatment but in the meantime, is using her platform to raise awareness of breast cancer in younger women and highlight the importance of early detection. Erin is an incredibly articulate speaker and has mastered the art of finding the silver linings that can come with adversity.
Discussion points include:
- The role of a cox in a rowing boat and the importance of the team.
- Balancing treatment with rowing and making difficult compromises.
- The frustrations that cancer treatment rarely sticks to plan and how she overcomes these.
- Learning to accept support from those who care about her but doing so on her terms.
- Communicating what she needs and wants (and conversely what she doesn’t need and want) from those in her camp.
- www.mealtrain.com
- Choosing to share her treatment experience publicly.
- Turning challenges into opportunity and looking for silver linings.
- Erin’s changing room challenge.
Twitter: @ErinWysocki
Instagram: @erinmwj
Watch Erin’s BBC interview that went viral HERE.
Coppafeel Instagram and website.
British Rowing.
Themes we discuss include:
- Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable
- Imposter syndrome
- The power of hope and optimism. Are oncologists too negative?
- Taking back control and not being a passive patient
- The importance of discussing sexuality and body image in oncology
appointments - The Ann Summers MyViv range
- Being your own cheerleader
- The power of self-talk
- The currently perceived ‘brand’ of living with cancer
This is a conversation you can’t help but take something from. We know you will enjoy!
Follow Jacqueline on social media:
Twitter
Instagram
And if you want to know more about Jacqueline’s life, we recommend this fantastic
interview with Steven Bartlett HERE.
In this episode they discuss:
- Tony’s life as a professional footballer and the winning mentality that he still has to this day.
- Tony’s diagnosis of Lymphoma and how it was the ‘kick up the backside’ that he needed.
- How even despite his diagnosis, he went on to do incredible things such as becoming an Ambassador for Lymphoma Action, trekking in the arctic raising £6000 for charity and even starting up his own charity, Briteside, to support people affected by cancer.
- How some of the skills that he learnt as a footballer, including being incredibly resilient, helped him to navigate through his cancer treatment.
- How writing a blog gave him a purpose whilst he was going through treatment.
- The incredible work that Tony is doing with support groups that he has set up in his local community, including his plans to set up more support groups specifically for family and friends of those with cancer, as well as those who have been bereaved.
Lymphoma Action - https://lymphoma-action.org.uk/
Briteside - https://www.britesidecic.org/home
In this episode you will hear:
- All about what Naomi does as a clinical psychologist: A step by step guide on how she talks, supports and equips young people with strategies for coping with what they are going through.
- The connection Naomi builds with people that are going through one of the hardest periods in their lives and seeing the difference it makes for them to open up to her.
- About the pivotal point in people's lives that often comes after treatment where they get to re-evaluate who they are, what they want to do and who they want to be.
- The resilience and strength of young people diagnosed with cancer and how empowering and inspiring this can be.
- All about the topic of identity: Who we are and where our life is going. Recognising there can be grief about the loss of who you were.
- How looking forward can sometimes be tricky but looking backwards to see how far you've come can be helpful.
Links from Naomi:
Macmillan - Big Health UK | Helping millions back to good mental health
And then talking to Sinéad:
- All about The Norseman Triathlon.
- What being part of #TeamZalaris and fundraising for MOVE meant to Sinéad.
- Sinéad's diagnosis and how that changed her outlook.
- The fact that Sinéad used to run 1k then built it up to 3k then.... to an Ironman!
"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery but today is a gift. That is why they call it the present.”
In this episode you will hear:
- The strategies Sophie, Jade and Ashley learnt during their treatment from celebrating every milestone to taking small and manageable steps.
- The importance of a support network.
- That sometimes it helps to talk to someone who is not in your inner family/friends circle.
- How having a positive mental attitude in life may take you a long time to learn but if you can embrace it early on then it is life changing.
- How it can be very tricky to accept help but it is so worth it when you do.
- Why Jade no longer uses the word 'should.'
- How Ashley learnt to cope with having his independence taken away and now has such a positive outlook.
- The lesson of not comparing yourself to anyone else, even yourself.
A HUGE thank you to Sophie, Jade and Ashley- it really was an honour to speak to them and we hope anyone listening, no matter what they are going through, will be able to challenge themselves to really live in the moment as much as possible.
If you met Connor on the cricket field you’d just think he was your average 27 year old,
albeit one with an exceptional batting prowess.
You would have no idea he has cancer. You would have no idea he is on chemotherapy.
You would have no idea what he has to go through every single day, to keep his life as
normal as possible.
Lucy and Connor have known each other for just over 2.5 years. Lucy is one of his
oncologists.
In this episode, Connor talks to Lucy about how he has found his own way to move against
cancer, and, particularly for him the importance of keeping life as normal as possible despite
everything cancer throws at him.
Not all superheroes wear capes; some wear camouflage. Connor is one of those.
"We all only have one life and it's all going to end, whether because of cancer or something else, so how are you going to do the things that really matter? It's not about the challenge that you face, it's how you come to respond to it."
Head back to Oct 2021 (episode 10) to hear our previous episode with Luke: Talking being a CanLiver: HERE.
Firstly, a HUGE thank you to Helen Murray for sharing this brilliant episode with us that she recorded for the Inside Tri Show podcast. This is a fantastic podcast so definitely check it out.
In this episode you will hear:
- The importance about concentrating on what you CAN control rather than what you cannot.
- The journey being an expression of what you can do with cancer.
- All about how Luke prioritises the things that matter.
- The impact that Covid had on his expedition.
- About how Luke didn't expect to finish the ride: "At the beginning of the ride, my mum wasn't expecting me to get to Beijing. In the very early days of the ride, I had aches in my shoulder. I thought it had come back."
- The core belief of Luke's that every day should be worth living.
- The art of being non-judgemental: Everyone does things for the right reasons. And that won't be the same for everyone.
- Luke's vision that doctors should see exercise as treatment for cancer.
- Luke's exciting future plans.
Our 5k Your Way initiative recently celebrated our 4th anniversary and this really wouldn’t have been possible without Luke and the INCREDIBLE funding from the Bristol 2 Beijing Expedition. This enabled us to employ a full time 5k Your Way Operational Manager and survive covid where we had so long without group meet ups. Thank you so so much to Luke and to the Bristol 2 Beijing Team.
Luke is truly the epitome of Moving Against Cancer. This episode is 100% going to change your day, and maybe even the way you live your life. Listen now.
Bristol 2 Beijing Website.
Bristol 2 Beijing Instagram.
In this episode you will hear:
- All about the power of the mind in overcoming challenges.
- How working as a team takes on a whole new meaning on a small boat in the middle of the ocean.
- The importance of breaking down barriers.
- All about relationships based on honesty, trust and integrity.
- The value of living in the moment and living life the way you want to.
This episode will make you want to take on your own personal challenge, whether that be walking 5k or rowing the Atlantic, we hope this episode inspires you to Move Against Cancer and live life to the full in your own way.
In this episode you will hear:
- Jenny's breast cancer diagnosis and what that was like as a GP.
- All about the impact of parkrun on Jenny's life.
- How having had cancer and been a patient herself has affected the way she works with her patients now as a GP.
- 14 years since Jenny's diagnosis: How the relationship between exercise and cancer has changed completely.
- Lockdown and exercise: How this changed lots of people's outlook on exercise for the better.
- Fundraising: What challenges Jenny is doing and why she is so passionate about fundraising to support more people to Move Against Cancer.
Jenny's Justgiving Page
Books Jenny recommends:
Get Your Oomph Back, Carolyn Garritt
The Complete Guide to Breast Cancer: How to Feel Empowered and Take Control, Professor Trisha Greenhalgh and Liz O'Riordan
The Cancer Ladies Running Club, Josie Lloyd
In this episode you will hear:
- The detail on how and why Andy is on a journey of comeback to elite sport after a cancer diagnosis.
- All the questions, doubts and fears of having an incurable cancer.
- The difficulties of talking to people who cannot relate to what you are going through.
- The importance of a support network and how Andy has found that in his running community.
- The need for further support for partners/family members of those diagnosed with cancer.
- How Andy relates to our goal of supporting and inspiring others to Move Against Cancer.
- The importance of a 'can-do' attitude no matter what card you're dealt.
- About how mindset is half the battle.
- Advice for someone going through a difficult period in their life.
Andy's blog on our website.
Athletics Weekly Article.
Cancer and the Comeback
Linktree
YouTube
Instagram: @cancerandthecomeback
Twitter: @cancerncomeback
Two26 Photography
Instagram: @two26_photography
Twitter: @two26_photos
We read the BBC Article about Caitlin Wilde: 'I was ashamed to ask for help' and wanted to put something together about sex and cancer to help anyone else in a similar situation.
In this episode you will hear:
- Young people bravely opening up about sex, relationships, dating, fertility and cancer.
- The impact of cancer on sex: Discomfort, body image, confidence and not knowing how to ask for help.
- About how the advice they were given by their medical teams surrounding these issues was very minimal, despite this being a very important part of a young person’s life.
- Discussion on treatment induced menopause and erectile dysfunction.
- Excellent advice, problem solving and signposting with Psychosexual Therapist Angela Gregory.
Resources Angela talks about include:
Enhance UK Love Lounge
‘Users Guide to the Penis’
Erectile Dysfunction info
Dr Karen Gurney TEDx Talk
Emily Nagoski ‘Come As You Are’
In this episode we discuss:
- Why you’re never rejected, just redirected.
- Her journey to rebuild her confidence and feel like ‘Crystal’ after her surgery.
- The barriers she experiences through living with a facial difference.
- Realising the biggest obstacle to becoming the person she wanted to be again was herself.
- How COVID, lockdown and masks impacted her recovery.
- Her dreams to use her growing platform to advocate for normalisation of people with facial differences on mainstream TV.
- The stigma that a previous cancer diagnosis can cause when dating.
- Learning to believe in herself.
- The pride she felt during her first big London stage appearance with her mum watching.
Crystal is wise beyond her years and has learnt life lessons that most of us take a lifetime to learn. We know you will love listening to her story.
In this episode they discuss:
- How it feels to be told you have cancer as a young adult
- The unexpected side effects that come with having cancer treatment.
- The pivotal point in their cancer journey that made the whole experience really sink in.
- How others who haven't had cancer themselves just don't "get it".
- Survivor guilt.
- Recovery and moving on after cancer.
- How life changes after having cancer.
In this episode we discuss:
- The importance of raising awareness of prostate cancer
- Gaining control through running in a physical and mental way
- How running a marathon, with it's ups and downs, can be a metaphor for life.
- How running events such as the London Marathon can be life changing
- Running motivation: You'll definitely finish listening and want to put your trainers on that's for sure!
- Watch this space for a take home quote from Tim
Thank you so much Tim, we really hope that you enjoy listening.
In this episode we discuss:
· Taking the plunge to change careers
· What she has learnt from her work with young people with cancer
· Why she believes the Move programme is so powerful
· The highs of helping someone personally
· The challenges of working with people with incurable cancer
· How her work with Move has changed her outlook on life.
· Tips for anybody who deep down wants to make a career change but isn’t quite brave enough to do it.
Helen is one of the good people of the world. Enjoy!
In this episode you will hear about:
- Carolyn's views on the importance of Cancer Rehab with some lovely snippets about people she's worked with.
- The significance of pivotal moments that become life changing.
- Recovery, rehabilitation, exercise, movement and..... 'oomph'.
- Carolyn's personal cancer diagnosis during the pandemic and how that changed her outlook and perspective.
- The evidence behind the importance of exercising when living with or beyond cancer.
- All about Carolyn's BRAND NEW book: 'Get Your Oomph back: A Guide to Exercise After Cancer'
- Those interesting "teachable" moments in the Cancer Rehab World.
- The brilliant Southwark 5k Your Way group
With acknowledgements and shout outs from Carolyn to:
Dr Jenny Wilson (GP and Bedford 5k Your way Ambassador) for her delightful forward to the book. And Liz O’Riordan (Surgeon, legend and Bury St Edmunds 5k Your Way Ambassador) for her lovely endorsement for the cover.
Thank you so much for speaking to us Carolyn.
You can pre-order Carolyn's book HERE.
And find out more about Carolyn's brilliant work HERE.
In this episode we discuss:
• Why Luke coined the term ‘CanLiver’
• What made him start the trip, and why, despite the challenges and the tough times, he’s continuing.
• How Luke deals with the uncertainty of not knowing if his cancer will return and the impacts of this uncertainty on the way he lives his life.
• How Luke hopes to inspire people, with or without cancer, to live their lives as richly and fully as they can.
We guarantee Luke will make you want to make the most of every opportunity life throws at you. We hope you enjoy!
To find out more about Luke visit his website.
And to hear more about Luke’s experience of being diagnosed and treated for cancer take a listen to this brilliant conversation HERE between Luke and our Move charity Cancer Rehab Instructor and Online Programme Manager Helen Murray.
Georgie Freeman, our 5k Your Way Operational Manager, talks to Lucy Gossage, our 5k Your Way co-founder about our groups being back up and running, they reflect on some of the brilliant guests from series one of the podcast and hopefully get you excited about what's to come for series two!
Georgie then talks to Tony Collier, one of our awesome Wilmslow 5k Your Way Ambassadors and our North West Regional Champion. Tony is a fantastic advocate for moving when living with and beyond cancer and we're so lucky to have him supporting 5k Your Way.
The episode concludes speaking to Sarah, one of our lovely Shrewsbury Ambassadors who talks all about launching the brand new Shrewsbury 5k Your Way group!
Hopefully you'll agree that we have some amazing people as part of our 5k Your Way community, everyone comes along for a different reason and everyone supports one another. Please do share this with anyone who might find it useful and get in touch if you're interested in joining us: info@5kyourway.org
In this episode we discuss:
- Greg's passion for sport and physical activity.
- The Olympic Dream in partnership with Education and Learning.
- Supporting celebrities through endurance challenges.
- The importance of exercise and physical activity in the Cancer Care Pathway.
- The meaning behind goal setting.
- Creating a support network around you.
- How cancer and exercise provision for the future is looking more promising.
You'll come away truly believing that if you put your mind to it, it really is possible.
Thank you so much for taking the time to come on as our guest Greg. We hope you all enjoy this episode.
In this episode we discuss:
- Who you are as a person before and after cancer.
- What is ‘normal’ through a cancer journey
- The importance of a support network
- Talking to someone who ‘gets it’
- The MOVE online programme
- Different life perspectives because of a cancer diagnosis
- Treatment during a pandemic
- The long term side affects
- Mindset and the importance of trying to stay positive
Sophie and Shannon speak so openly about their cancer journeys and you'll be left inspired and motivated by their positive mental attitude, resilience and drive to help others going through similar experiences. A huge thank you to both of these brilliant ladies for being our guests.
In this episode we discuss:
- The importance of finding your why and understanding your purpose
- Not simply climbing to the top of a ladder simply because it’s there
- Taking the time to discover your true identity
- Learning to move from ‘human doing’ mode to ‘human being’ mode
- The challenges of living with a spinal cord injury
- Transitioning from being an elite athlete to an athlete who exercises for wellbeing
- Strategies to bounce back from rock bottom
- Using sports psychology as a patient
David epitomises resilience, and encapsulates the remarkable ability we all have as humans, even if we don’t yet realise it, to always bounce back. This conversation has something for everybody regardless of cancer and it might just trigger you to take the time to really ‘find your why’. Enjoy!
In this episode we discuss:
- Learning to thrive after life changing surgery
- How Sally's perception of her prosthesis and her body has changed over the years
- How the 2012 paralympics was her inspiration for realising that sport was still a possibility despite her amputation
- How she fell into the world of elite sport almost by chance
- How cancer has taught her to say yes to opportunities
- How you start to cycle on a hill if you only have one leg
- How Sally dealt with being diagnosed with cancer a second time
- The practicalities of living as an amputee and the pros and cons of using a prosthesis.
Sally epitomises tenacity and resilience and what it means to ‘move against cancer’. She is self-effacing and modest to a fault.
You will come away from this conversation with an urge to ‘say yes’ to something that scares you.
In this episode, Gillian and Lucy discuss:
-
What it was like to support her son through months of cancer treatment and then to be told it had stopped working.
-
How Lewis crammed years worth of living into his final month. “I’m here for a good time, not a long time.”
-
Watching Lewis turn into an adult during his treatment.
-
Gillian's thoughts on how care for young people transitioning from paediatric to adult services could and should be improved.
-
The parent - doctor relationship.
-
What it’s like for an oncologist to tell a young person their treatment has stopped working.
This conversation may make you cry but it will also spark joy and help you to live.
“It’s so important during that time to live. No regrets. There’s no time for that. Live. If there was anything that I could actually share with someone who knows that their time is coming, be it a week, a month a year. No regrets. Live."
You may well come away from this simultaneously heartbreaking yet life-affirming conversation with a will to hug your loved ones closer and an urge to live your life more fully.
Thank you so much Gillian for your honesty.
Find out more about Walk for Lewis here:
https://www.rainbows.co.uk/events/walk-lewis-18-miles-18-years
Thank you for listening.
This is such an open and honest conversation and we feel very honoured to be able to share Isla's story.
In this brilliant episode of the Move Against Cancer podcast, Move Charity Founder, Gemma Hillier-Moses has an honest and eye opening conversation with Paula and her daughter Isla.
In the episode they discuss:
- The reality of being diagnosed with cancer at 14 year old.
- How it felt to go through this experience as a family.
- How Paula, as a mother, coped with her daughter's diagnosis and treatment journey.
- How important it is to have that support network and people to lean on.
- How homemade pizza, pesto pasta and lots of lemon juice were the main foods on the menu during chemotherapy cycles
- How hard losing your hair during treatment can really be, especially for a teenager.
- Their love for sport and exercise as a family and how Isla's dream became a reality when her mum launched the 'Families on Track' initiative at the Durham city run festival in 2019.
- Who's the most competitive in the family and who would win master chef between Mum (Paula) and Dad (Gary)
Thank you so so much to Paula and Isla for talking to us, we are honoured and privileged to share this with you.
Find out more about the Families on Track initiative HERE.
Please do get in touch with any suggestions, feedback or questions, and help us spread the word about the podcast to anyone you know who might find it useful. Thank you!
Move Charity website
5k Your Way, Move Against Cancer Initiative Website
With HUGE thanks to:
Production: Steve Bland
Music Credit: Asepirawan20 from Pixabay
Talking living and cancer with Deborah James, aka Bowelbabe.
Deborah is a broadcaster, a writer, a campaigner, a former deputy headteacher, a mum, a co-presenter of 'You, Me and the Big C' podcast, a runner and she has stage four bowel cancer.
In episode 2 of the Move Against Cancer podcast, oncologist and 5k Your Way co-founder Lucy Gossage has a fabulous, life affirming conversation with Deborah James with the focus being on living life to the full despite a cancer diagnosis.
In this episode Deborah and Lucy discuss:
- Breaking down the stereotypes of what it's like to live with stage four cancer
- Being a “Cancer celebrity”
- The positives and negatives of social media.
- Psychology and mindset
- Dealing with uncertainty
- Living in the moment
- Why Deborah loves running and how she uses running as motivation after each set-back
- Deborah's new book coming soonAfter listening to this episode you will want to go away and do some living!
Find out more and follow Deborah James on her instagram account HERE.
Listen to the fantastic 'You, Me and the Big C' Podcast HERE.
Please do get in touch with any suggestions, feedback or questions, and help us spread the word about the podcast to anyone you know who might find it useful. Thank you!
Move Charity website
5k Your Way, Move Against Cancer Initiative Website
With HUGE thanks to:
Production: Steve Bland
Music Credit: Matthew Poole
Contact details:
Email: info@5kyourway.org
We are so excited to launch our very first full podcast with special guest MP Tracey Crouch.
Tracey is a member of parliament for Chatham and Aylesford, former minister for Sport, Civil Society and Loneliness and she's just finished treatment for breast cancer.
Lucy Gossage has a great conversation with Tracey, it's so worth listening to as Tracey speaks very openly about her journey with cancer during the pandemic and the importance of focusing on wellbeing; both physical and mental.
In this episode Tracey and Lucy discuss:
- Undergoing cancer treatment during a pandemic
- Work life balance
- Strategies for dealing with anxiety
- Breaking boundaries as a female role model
- Social isolation
- Lucy’s favourite recipe book
Lucy believes Tracey will use her experience to help shape a more holistic NHS cancer care approach. We are so grateful to Tracey for joining us as our very first guest, thank you very much Tracey!Find out more about Tracey on her website HERE.
Please do help us spread the word about our new podcast to anyone you know who might find it useful, we would really appreciate your support. Thank you.
Move Charity website
5k Your Way, Move Against Cancer Initiative Website
With HUGE thanks to:
Production: Steve Bland
Music Credit: Matthew Poole
Contact details:
Email: info@5kyourway.org
Lucy Gossage, Gemma Hillier-Moses and Georgie Freeman introduce themselves and talk about the why behind launching this podcast. They discuss their aspirations and aims for the podcast as well as how the past year has been throughout the pandemic.
Please let us know if you have any suggestions, feedback or questions, we'd love to hear from you.
Please do help us spread the word about our new podcast to anyone you know who might find it useful.
Move Charity website
5k Your Way, Move Against Cancer Initiative Website
With HUGE thanks to:
Production: Steve Bland
Music Credit: Matthew Poole
Contact details:
Email: info@5kyourway.org
Welcome to the Move Against Cancer Podcast, our mission is to support and inspire people to live an active and fulfilling life despite a cancer diagnosis.
We will be sharing the stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things when living with or beyond cancer.
Please share this with anyone who might find it useful.
Move Charity website
5k Your Way, Move Against Cancer Initiative Website
With HUGE thanks to:
Production: Steve Bland
Music Credit: Matthew Poole
Contact:
Email: info@5kyourway.org