Moira Jordan, a 32-year-old secondary school teacher from South East London, will be running this year’s Royal Parks Half Marathon to raise vital funds for breast cancer awareness charity, CoppaFeel,  just two years after undergoing a double mastectomy at the age of 29.

Moira was diagnosed with triple positive breast cancer in March 2023 after feeling a thickening in the outer edge of one of her breasts. Having visited the doctors to check this thickening, she headed to her follow-up appointment - it was here that the doctor revealed her diagnosis, leaving Moira in total disbelief.

The diagnosis came just 7 years after Moira discovered she carried the BRCA gene – the same genetic mutation that led to her mum’s ovarian cancer diagnosis in 2015. Despite planning to take preventative surgery after the age of 30 to combat the effects of the gene, Moira explains that ‘cancer caught up with her sooner than expected’. 

After the diagnosis, Moira underwent fertility treatment, followed by eight rounds of intense chemotherapy, a double mastectomy and reconstruction, and 15 rounds of radiotherapy. The following year, she underwent a further 14 rounds of chemotherapy and was placed in a medical menopause.

Reflecting on that dark time in her life, Moira says: “I felt very low - most people my age were travelling, making memories,  and starting their own families, while I was going through this. It was the hardest thing I have ever gone through, without a doubt.”

After nearly two years of constant hospital visits, Moira began rebuilding her physical and mental strength through a physiotherapy programme at Guy’s Hospital. 

“At the time, I felt so exhausted and couldn’t imagine having the strength to exercise again, but the team at Guy’s hospital helped me regain my confidence and encouraged me to set goals that I could work towards over the coming months. I began running again, and it helped me reclaim my independence and gave me back a sense of achievement that cancer temporarily took away.”

Now, Moira is preparing to run the Royal Parks Half Marathon alongside 16,000 people on Sunday 12th October in support of CoppaFeel – the UK’s only youth-focused breast cancer charity – as part of her mission to raise awareness and empower more young people to be aware of changes in their body. Having seen first-hand the difference early detection can make, she is passionate about making breast cancer education a standard part of school life, ensuring that every young person leaves the education system knowing how to check their body, recognise what’s normal, and seek help if something changes.

Speaking on this, Moira says: “I would really like anyone entering the school system to leave with a good understanding of what feels normal for their body and how to report anything they feel is unusual. One of the most important things CoppaFeel has achieved is making chest-checking education part of the national curriculum for older students. 

“Especially in my role as a secondary school teacher, I believe schools have a vital role to play in teaching young people what’s normal for their bodies – both physically and mentally – so they feel confident recognising changes and know how to access support when they need it.”

Looking ahead to race-day, Moira said: “This race will mark just over two years since my surgery - a point in time when I never believed I’d be capable of doing any kind of intensive exercise again. 

“It’s the latest in a series of opportunities I never thought I’d have - things like travelling, getting married, and now getting to train for a race such as this - it just makes me so grateful to be alive.

“Spending so much time in hospitals in recent years meant I became quite reliant on others and totally lost both my independence and confidence - this is my chance to rebuild everything I lost.”

When asked what advice she would give to someone going through something similar, Moira said: “Try and make small daily goals and simply focus on getting by at first. Don’t think about what you can’t do, but about what you can do - even if it’s just one or two things a day that can keep you going.”

Now, reflecting on her goals for race-day and beyond, Moira says: “I simply want to raise awareness on the importance of young people regularly checking on their own health and wellbeing. Having been diagnosed at a young  age myself, this mission feels more important to me than ever.”

To donate to Moira’s cause, please visit her fundraising page 

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