Terminal cancer patient from Aylesbury Vale completes triathlon with daughter to raise awareness and funds

An Aylesbury Vale woman who was diagnosed with a terminal form of cancer led a team of 12 through a triathlon last month.

Karen Spencer was joined by her eight-year-old daughter, Em-J, and twin sister, Julie Webb, as well as nine close friends.

A majority of the participants were close friends from Karen’s village of Ludgershall.

In February 2022, Karen was told at the age of 42 that she had a terminal form of pancreatic cancer.

Despite being told she had just 11 months to live the former finance director has been determined to raise awareness and vital funds to combat this form of cancer.

The triathlon which took place on 24 October, is the first of what Karen hopes will be many fundraisers completed by the team.

Next up is a race night event at Ludgershall Village Hall on Saturday (19 November) at 6pm.

All the money raised from the evening is going towards Pancreatic Cancer UK and The Hummingbird Centre in Bicester which supports people diagnosed with the disease.

Also, Karen hopes to organise further events, teams are being put together to attempt a swim the length of the channel and a trek up Snowdon.

Karen and her friends’ progress can be tracked on her fundraising page here.

Karen told The Bucks Herald: “The biggest shock was upon my diagnosis, then looking at the statistics with regards to five-year survival only being at 7%, which hasn’t changed in the last 40 years.

"By all accounts and by reading a lot of literature, only 5% of money raised by Cancer Research UK is for pancreatic cancer.

"Understandably because a lot more people are diagnosed with breast and prostate cancer. But the survival for them is now over 86%.

"I knew very little about pancreatic cancer,

"Mainly because people get it when they’re old or they don’t live very long.

"I think more can be done to help raise awareness, and spot the signs.

"I had the disease for nearly eight months, and had I been diagnosed with my first symptoms I like to think I could have had a better chance of having surgery and a cure, albeit I am doing very well at the moment.”

Last month’s event proved an uplifting experience with friends from Em-j’s school coming along to join in with her run, during the eight-year-old’s mini-triathlon.

While the event has raised £4,000 in the fight to combat cancer.

Karen was unable to participate in the swim, but completed the other two sections.

She goes out to train and exercise in weeks where she is not required to undergo chemotherapy.

She added: "I’m hoping I’ll be able to continue to do the fundraising stuff. But I’ve got a lot of friends and family who are doing a lot of stuff as well.”

Karen signs off her blog with a defiant message, she says: “As I am here to fight another day I can fight these challenges too.”