Macy Boyling took part in the Southampton Half Marathon to raise money for the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust – a charity that supported her when she underwent treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in 2013. The 24-year-old relied on the use of a wheelchair during her recovery from cancer, but incredibly managed to run the 26 mile course alongside her friends to raise £1,000 for the charity. She said: “If I wasn’t meant to be able to walk, and I now can, why not run?” Macy returned to the charity as a volunteer five years ago, and described it as a ‘lifeline for continued support’ in her cancer recovery.
She added: “The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust has given me a community in which I can share my story and continued experience without feeling as if I’m sticking out like a sore thumb.” The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust is a national charity that uses sailing and outdoor adventure to inspire young people aged 8-24 to believe in a brighter future living through and beyond cancer. Macy wanted to give back to the charity, and said: “The charity has provided me with a whole new zest for life.
Although on trips we are surrounded by cancer, it is the only place where cancer doesn’t exist because it no longer feels like a stigmatised world. Walking one minute and using my wheelchair the next isn’t looked down upon.” Through the charity’s sailing and outdoor adventures, young people gain a new sense of purpose and self-worth, rediscover their independence.
