Cancer survivor aiming to inspire in charity run

THE manager of a women's football team who beat breast cancer is now hoping her story will inspire people to run the Race For Life.

Sheffield Football Club's Helen Mitchell, 39, was diagnosed with the illness last year after she discovered a lump in her breast.

The keen footballer from Walkley, who has been coaching and managing the Dronfield-based women's team for seven years, will lead a 20 strong team of her players into the Chesterfield race for Cancer Research UK.

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And she wants other people to get involved in the Cancer Research UK Race for Life after experiencing a health shock she never expected.

"It was a big shock and completely out of the blue," said Ms Mitchell, a landscape architect. "I've been so healthy and active all my life, I'm hardly ever ill, I've never been in hospital and breast cancer doesn't run in my family.

"It makes you realise it could happen and the chances are it could happen to someone you know."

She had a small lump removed from her breast then had four weeks of radiotherapy at Weston Park Hospital.

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"They have a big X-ray machine," she said. "And you go in every day and lie on a special bed and they zap you with the rays for 30-40 seconds at a time. They line it up very accurately at the same spot.

"There were all sorts of people in there waiting for treatment," she said. "There were a lot of very elderly women and they were a bit shocked to see me there.

"Everyone just wanted to talk about it and so many people are affected by it but it relaxes you and makes you feel much more comfortable to know others are going through the same thing."

And with the help and support of the team Helen is now back on the pitch training twice a week with a match game every weekend.

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Mike Davie, Race for Life link at NHS Derbyshire County, said people should take a minute to consider signing up to walk, jog or run the 5K.

"It might not be the kind of thing you're interested in," he said. "But cancer affects us all and the Race could be a challenge to get you doing something different. Look at Helen's story and then think about it."