Amy tackles huge challenge to thank FORCE

Twelve months ago, Amy Martin could barely run at all after a tough regime of cancer treatment.

But on Sunday May 24, she will be one of 440 people lining up as part of Team FORCE at the Great West Run 2026.

Amy aims to raise £1,000 for FORCE Cancer Charity to say thank you for all the support she has received from them since a diagnosis of breast cancer in late 2023.

She has signed up for the 10k and admits: “I will be walk-running, but I will finish it because I am a bit stubborn and — let’s be real— I’ve been through worse.

“I spent 18 months having chemotherapy, I had radiotherapy or I was recovering from surgeries, a mastectomy and then a reconstruction. It was, to put it mildly, a lot.

“But here’s the thing about cancer treatment: the NHS gets you through it but there’s no quiet place to take in the shocking news you’ve just received.

Brilliant

“There’s no counselling as you watch your life fall apart, there’s no routine physiotherapy after mastectomy or reconstruction. There’s not much of anything, really. Hospital staff are superstars — they saved my life— but they are stretched beyond belief.

“Which is where FORCE comes in. They quietly, consistently, brilliantly fill the gaps that the NHS can’t.”

Amy, an operations manager from Cullompton, will be lining up for the GWR six days after her 45^th birthday.

She’ll be cheered on by husband Phil and daughter Izzy, who was just six when her mum received the devastating news that she had cancer.

Amy turned to FORCE, which offers free support to local people affected by cancer from its main centre in Exeter and healthcare hubs in Ottery St Mary, Tiverton, Okehampton and Cullompton with no Government or NHS funding.

Support

She explained what our charity did for her.

“Chemo: Most of my little chemo treatments were at their Ottery St Mary, which is staffed by RD&E nurses but run by FORCE volunteers. It’s small, calm and nothing like the busy wards at the RD&E where I’d wait hours for my chemo to be made. You can’t bring anyone in with you during treatment and my big chemo took six to eight hours so having a cheerful FORCE volunteer appear with a drink or snack and a friendly face was genuinely more valuable than it sounds when you’re sitting there on your own for hours.

“The FORCE Centre: It’s beautiful, warm and comfortable. I may have accidentally napped there in a comfy chair between appointments during big chemo.

“Counselling: My counsellor Paul might actually have saved my life. Your family are going through it with you and you can’t always talk to them in the same way you can with a counsellor. You’re dealing with life and death and you don’t want to worry them. I was not myself. It was awful. Paul was brilliant and practical and helped me through some of the darkest bits of this whole experience. He kept me sane when I was falling apart. He also ran their mindfulness course, which I loved so much that I am now, by my own declaration, a Mindfulness Queen.

“Physio: FORCE has qualified physiotherapists with the power to give advice, refer you into NHS services and connect you with gym specialists. They referred me to get physiotherapy on the NHS, which the RD&E don’t offer post-mastectomy, even when I could hardly move my left arm. And when I was “all better,” they referred me to a cancer rehab programme run at my local gym that costs next to nothing compared with a personal trainer. They’ve helped build a whole network of specialist staff at local gyms. It’s amazing.”

Enthusiastic

Amy is still on medication, which leads to crushing fatigue so she has to manage her energy levels carefully but keeps pushing herself forward.

“Will I run this 10k gracefully? Absolutely not. I will be a human strawberry. I’ve been rehabbing at the gym, but I was initially advised not to run after chemo because it made me feel dreadful — and right now my running is best described as enthusiastic shuffling. But I’m doing much better with my energy, I’ve got a training plan and I have the kind of bloody-mindedness that got me through the last couple of years.

“If you’d like to sponsor me — and I very much hope you will — please donate at justgiving.com/br-prdjchpcrgta-2026-bishop-fleming-great-west-run

“Any amount is genuinely appreciated. Tell your friends. Tell your enemies. Tell anyone who owes you a favour.

“FORCE is a really important local charity and I’m on a mission to raise awareness and money. I want to shout about FORCE from the rafters.”

Members of Team FORCE have raised £300,000 at the Bishop Fleming Great West Run over the last two years, allowing FORCE to offer unparalleled support to thousands of local people affected by cancer.

Thousands of runners – experienced athletes, first-timers and everyone in between – have been inspired to lace up their trainers and do their bit and improve the lives of people in their community by taking on a half marathon, 10k or the community mile.

 “They’ve run to ensure FORCE is here for their family members, friends, neighbours and colleagues at some of the most difficult times they may ever face,” said FORCE Events Fundraiser Chloe Richardson.

“The atmosphere on Great West Run day is like nothing else and we’d love it if as many people as possible could join us in cheering on our amazing runners and be a part of something truly special.”