Team Emmy aka Julie and Machaela, have signed up to cycle from London to Paris in June 2023. In September 2020 Julie found a lump in her neck which turned out to be cancerous and was diagnosed with a rare type of thyroid cancer, Medullary Thyroid Cancer in October 2020, at which time it had already spread to other parts of her body. After plenty of research through other patients who have been living with this cancer for a number of years, Julie asked for a second opinion and was referred to the Royal Marsden in Surrey, where she was lucky enough to become a patient with one of the UK's leading head and neck cancer teams and join a clinical trial. Julie is doing well on the trial and leading a nearly 'normal' life now with stage 4 cancer.

Julie was inspired by Emmy Coates, a previous patient at the Royal Marsden who very sadly passed away in 2017 with Medullary Thyroid Cancer. Emmy cycled on a tandem from London to Copenhagen to raise awareness and funds for both MTC and the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. After reading about Emmy and chatting to her trial nurse, Tara, Julie took on the London to Paris ride in July 2022, completing 348 miles in 4 days. Julie enjoyed it so much that she's decided to take on the challenge again and raise more money specifically for the Emmy Coates Thyroid Cancer Charity at the Royal Marsden.

"Keeping Emmy's legacy alive is so important for all patients who have had a diagnosis of MTC" says Julie, "all of the money raised for Emmy's charity goes into funding vital research for new treatments, for the patients of today as well as the future. Living with cancer is difficult, but being proactive and raising awareness really helps my mindset."

Machaela and Julie have been friends for around 30 years, and when Julie mentioned taking part in the London to Paris ride again, Machaela insisted on joining her to take on the challenge together.

Please donate to this fabulous charity, the Emmy Coates Thyroid Cancer Charity at the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and show your support for all of the hard work at the Royal Marsden hospital, the research that they do there is not just for patients like Julie, it's for all of our futures.

Please remember to check your neck, and if you find any unusual lumps, get your GP to investigate.