Emma says “The first time I ever heard about Odyssey was when I went to the Breast Care Unit for a check up. There was a flyer on the wall and I took the details down, as something piqued my interest. Strangely, the very next day I went to lunch with a friend, who had invited a friend of hers along. At lunch this friend asked if I had ever heard of Odyssey! It was like it was meant to be. The course was a revelation and I went home with a renewed zest for life and a hike in my confidence levels”.

Since then I have maintained the ‘maybe I can’, not the ‘I can’t’ attitude that Odyssey instilled in me. I find I take more time to stop and be in the moment than I used to, not rushing headlong and forgetting to enjoy the ride.

With Odyssey I have had some great opportunities to help fundraise for the charity I feel has given me so much. I trekked in the Sahara and fell in love with the desert. The sky has never looked bigger than when you’re lying out under the stars with no light to conflict with the light of the stars. I definitely wanted to take one of the camels home. I canoed 90 km in Sweden with the experience of wild camping each night. Sitting in your canoe watching the wildlife on the shore was extraordinary, the bracing wash in the lakes, not to be missed! One of my favourite parts of the year however, has to be helping out with the ‘Race The Train’ running festival in Tywyn. The finale is the brutal 15 mile cross country run. Am I brave enough to do it this year? Watch this space!

I am passionate about Odyssey as a charity. Being a volunteer means that I see a slightly different side. The blossoming of the participants, both male and female and across all ages. They all go home with a different perspective on life and ready to take it by the horns and run with it. It’s a joy to be a part of this charity and to help in any capacity I can.’

Emma will be speaking at our Cancer Survivorship Conference in September – see other news item.