Em10
Hi, Emilie here.
I was 17 when my whole world was turned upside down and I was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. Over the course of 18 months, I underwent intensive treatment, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and over ten operations. One of these included the removal of half my sacrum, the location of the tumour.
It was an extremely dark and scary time, but I am so lucky to say that in December this year, I will be 10 years cancer free. This feels like a huge milestone, and I can’t help but reflect on all the wonderful organisations that helped to make life that little bit more bearable during those long 18 months. It’s heart breaking that others will have to go through what I endured which is why I am so passionate to give back to the charities that hold a special place in my heart. They need vital funds so that others can benefit like I did and continue doing amazing work with children & young people battling a cancer diagnosis.
That’s where the idea of Em10 came in. Despite chronic pain from my operations, I love being active and love a challenge and so I had the idea of doing 10 events to raise money for these organisations, one for every year I’ve been cancer free. Many of these events won’t be easy for me, but there was a time when these activities would have been completely impossible for me and so, despite the pain, I want to celebrate just how far I have come and show that we are stronger than we think!
The ten events are:
1. Great Run Manchester – 10K – 26th May 2024
2. Yorkshire 3 Peaks – 22nd June 2024
3. Belvoir Castle Triathlon – 28th July 2024
4. Charity Swim – 57 miles – my house to St James Hospital Leeds – over the course of the weekend, everyone swims and sends proof of their distances to me, and they’ll get pooled together - 10-11th August 2024
5. Coast 2 Coast Cycle – 23-26th August 2024
6. Great North Run – HM – 8th September 2024
7. Charity Netball Tournament Manchester – 18th November 2024 - The Velodrome, Manchester
8. Ongoing Cancer Research charity shop drive – using my gift aid number will let us know how much we have raised. 18382098 Heald M1 2FU - find your nearest shop here.
9. Ongoing blood/Platelet drive – I can’t do this anymore, but I needed a lot of both, so people giving on my behalf – take a picture whilst there and tag me in the picture on Instagram (@em10_cic) using the hashtag #Em10 so I can make a collage at the end! (or alternatively email to evheald@heald.uk.com) - find your nearest blood donation centre here or platelet centre here.
10. Charity Ball (including charity auction) – 14th December 2024 – The Deep, Hull – tickets on sale soon.
I’ve got some amazing friends and family who have already signed up for some of these events with me, and other awesome friends who want to do their own events to help me to raise money for all these wonderful charities too. The more the merrier, so if anyone would like to join, please sign up and let me know.
Alternatively, if anyone is doing an activity and you do not have a specific charity/cause, then this is a great one to do it for!
Thank you so much for reading this spiel, and any donations, however big or small, will be greatly appreciated!
P.S. If anyone has anything they would like to donate to the charity auction, which will be taking place in December, please email me at evheald@heald.uk.com. Thank you <3
The charities I have chosen to support and the reasons why can be found on the campaign page Em10 sponsorme.charitiestrust.org
Event Update
On the 26th May an amazing team of 11 took part in the first Em10 event, the Manchester 10K and absolutely smashed it. I can’t thank you all enough for running with me, coming to support or sponsoring me so far, it really means a lot. A couple of weeks prior to the event, I pulled two of the tendons in my left foot during training, with lots of physio and determination (and with lots of encouragement from @millriby) I ran it but it went straight on ice and I was piggybacked home by the best relay team, it’s still very sore but getting there :)
Second Em10 event done and dusted ✔️ On Saturday 22nd June, 20 of us took on the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge, just over 11hrs, a few sore limbs and a lot of blisters later we completed it. Thank you to this amazing group for supporting and choosing to do it with me, it definitely wouldn’t have been as fun without you all❤️
10 years ago I got told I may be in a wheelchair, when I knew I could walk, the one thing I wanted to do eventually, was a triathlon. It was a very emotional finish but as usual I had the best team with me! Thank you all so much! That was definitely the hardest challenge yet but completed it in 4:18 - 1500m swim, 46km bike, 12km run
Thank you to everyone that’s supported me so far, it really means a lot❤️
Eventful to say the least…thank you to @debbh01 and dad for enduring it with me, we went through floods, up paths that aren’t made for road bikes, made u-turns and wrong turns, cycled up many, many hills, stopped for a Greggs, nearly got blown off the road multiple times, we’ve laughed and almost cried a lot, sang lots and swore lots but had the best time doing it together!
Thank you to @el42aylor and @harvslater for being our support crew and bag chauffeurs, even putting them in our rooms for when we arrived🥹
Thank you to Mark Sarah Mon @samuelburke27 for being there at the end..I was so done with the day and seeing you all made me so happy - love you lots❤️
That’s the Great North Run done and dusted, something I’d never thought I’d do and training whilst recovering from injury has been tough but what an enjoyable day yesterday was! All the more enjoyable running it with my best friends and mum. Again, we had the best support crew cheering us on! Big love to you all for making the effort to come up and support us🫶🏼
The Fundraisers
Emilie Heald
Our Charities
