Team Jane raises over £8,000 at the Sheffield 10k for Weston Park Cancer Charity

A group of 30 runners, known as ‘Team Jane’, has raised over £8,000 for Weston Park Cancer Charity by taking on the Sheffield 10k.

Team Jane was formed after Jane Stuart, a retired primary school teacher and avid runner, was diagnosed with breast cancer in June 2023.

Jane had been on holiday with her new partner Glyn, when she discovered a lump in her breast. After receiving her diagnosis, she went through six rounds of chemotherapy before having a lumpectomy. Jane also had to have a full lymph node clearance – an operation in which 30 lymph nodes were removed from her body.

In February 2024, Jane was told that she was cancer free. But she still had to have 15 rounds of radiotherapy to ensure that it didn’t return.

“During my radiotherapy, my partner and I went to the Weston Park Cancer Charity Support Hub,” said Jane. “The reality of my situation hit me all at once and I was in a bit of a mess.

“The ladies in the hub made me a coffee and sat with me. They said I could stay for as long as I needed. They couldn’t have been more supportive.”

While Jane and Glyn were in the hub, they spotted Weston Park’s charity t-shirts.

“We decided then and there that we would run the Sheffield 10k for Weston Park Cancer Charity,” said Jane. “We had no idea how we would manage it, but we were determined to do it.”

The road to the Sheffield 10k

Despite still going through radiotherapy, Jane started training immediately.

“There were some knockbacks along the way and times when I really wasn’t well,” said Jane. “But I knew if I could get back to running, I could get back to feeling like me again. I started by going on walks, then I would go for short runs along flat trails.”

Inspired by her efforts, Jane found that friends and family members wanted to join her on her fundraising journey.

“I’d met a lovely woman in hospital called Joanne while I was waiting for my lumpectomy,” said Jane.

“I was so frightened because I’d never had an operation before. Joanne explained what was going to happen and she really calmed me down. After that we stayed in touch, and we’ve been friends ever since.”

Joanne and her family soon became an integral part of Team Jane.

“My partner and both of my daughters decided to sign up for the 10k,” said Jane. “Then Joanne’s husband, son, and daughter, signed up to run with us too. Some friends from my running club and gym joined and before we knew it, we were a team of 30 runners!”

Crossing the finish line

“The night before the Sheffield 10k I had a chat with myself,” said Jane. “The furthest I’d run in training was 6k, so I wasn’t sure how I’d get on. But I just said, ‘Come on body, let’s see what we can do.’

“The race itself was very emotional. When you wear that Weston Park t-shirt you feel like you’re being carried along, because the support from the crowd is unbelievable.

“On the home straight, I could hear my daughter shouting, ‘Come on Mum!’ at the top of her voice. I can’t explain how incredible it felt when I crossed the finish line.”

Team Jane raised £8,034 in total, which will help to fund support services such as complimentary massages for people living with cancer.

“When you’re going through cancer treatment, you can never relax,” said Jane. “People are always telling you to go and have a rest, but you can’t because you’re holding so much tension in your body.

“During treatment I had several complimentary massages from Weston Park Cancer Charity. Once, I was halfway through a massage and suddenly I could feel tears pouring down my face. I think it was because my body had relaxed for the first time in so long.

“I can’t praise Weston Park highly enough,” said Jane. “Every person that walks into that Support Hub is dealing with something different, and that’s how you’re treated – as an individual.

“I don’t know what I would have done without that support. That’s why the Sheffield 10k was so important to me and Joanne. It was our way of saying thank you.”

Looking to the future

With her treatment now complete, Jane and her partner Glyn are planning for the future. On June 28th, Glyn proposed to Jane – a year to the day after she first found the lump in her breast.

“Glyn didn’t want me to have to remember that date as the day I found my lump,” said Jane. “Now it will always be the day we got engaged instead!”

If you’ve been inspired by Jane’s story you can register your own active challenge at https://team-weston-park.raiselysite.com/. Whether you run, hike, or jump, the money you raise will fund vital support services for people going through cancer treatment.