My name is Rachel Young, I have just turned 40 years old in June this year (2024). I absolutely love life, challenging myself physically, music, travelling, food, everything. People would probably say I am healthier than the average person, I eat a healthy diet and I train(ed) 5 days a week, running, lifting weights, crossfit, cycling, hiking etc.

On July 28th this year I went to A&E with some pains in my abdomen, I had already seen a doctor about some concerns I had about rectal bleeding, constipation and diaorrhea, bloating etc and was waiting on a colonoscopy with suspected cancer pathway.

I'd had the pains in my side before and thought they were trapped wind but in light of the recent referral I thought I should go get checked and I was worried.

It turned out I had several lesions on my liver, I was admitted to hospital where they controlled my pain and booked me in for a sigmoidoscopy to look inside my bowel and get a biopsy.

It turns out I have stage 4 bowel cancer, which has metastasised to my liver. They say it is incurable. But, treatable, I will be undergoing chemo soon.

The great thing is that I have got my body into the best condition it could be into fight this thing because of how healthily have lived, how active I have been and how well I have eaten. I intend to continue with this as best I can and fight.

I have a number of different fundraising and awareness raising events in the pipeline, all of which I will be sharing on my socials and shouting about as much as I can. I want some good to come from this and I want to help prevent others from finding themselves this far down the road with this condition.

Check your poo people!!!

I am raising money for Bowel Cancer UK, please help us to fight this shitty disease and help the charity help those who need it.