In August 2021 I was first diagnosed with breast cancer. I was treated with chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery. I was then given the newest targeted therapies to prevent it from returning. In January 2025, just two months after finishing one of those therapies the cancer returned and this time it was Stage 4, treatable but incurable.

I always thought that cancer was something that happened to other people, I never imagined that it would happen to me and I certainly never imagined that the cancer would return. But it did. The truth is that cancer can come for anyone. If Olympic athletes can get it then why not me too? One in seven women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime and of those women three out of every eight will be diagnosed with terminal metastatic cancer. Cancer really doesn't care.

When you get a cancer diagnosis you get told about a lot of things that you can't do. But I want to take on a challenge to see what is possible. On September 7th I will be in Glasgow taking part in Sir Chris Hoy's Tour de 4 fundraising challenge. To be clear I will be on a stationery bike and will be riding for a short amount of time. I don't know what treatment I will be on then and for me a big part of this challenge is getting to Glasgow and being part of the event. I want to do something positive that makes me feel stronger both physically and mentally.

I am fundraising for Future Dreams, a charity that if you know me you'll know is close to my heart. Future Dreams is driven by the ethos that nobody should have to go through breast cancer alone. It is a place which continues to help me navigate the complicated cancer world. I've met some very special people there and want others benefit from the brilliant work that they do and support the research into Stage 4 breast cancer that they fund.

This photo is me with Future Dreams Clinical Nurse Specialist Jackie. I can - and do - book regular 121 appointments with her at Future Dreams House in Kings Cross where we meet and chat and untangle the complicatedness that is cancer. I honestly could not imagine being able to manage the overwhelm sometimes without her support, knowledge and kindness. I want others to be able to see a CNS like Jackie or see one of the other specialists and be able to use the other brilliant services in the House too.

31 women die from metastatic secondary breast cancer in the UK every day. Please support me and Future Dreams if you can so that we can continue to have hope that one day breast cancer can be cured.

Thank you

Leila Segal

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