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Press and Journal
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Press and Journal
Aboyne hairdresser: 'I conquered Everest Marathon after Bennachie training'
You might imagine the closest a hair stylist would come to problems with mountains would be addressing a widow's peak. Yet, even a brief chat with Alford athlete Judith Taylor is to be transported into a world of scary air journeys, altitude sickness and problems with breathing. The Aberdeenshire mother-of-four didn't think to herself: 'Better him than me' while chatting to a customer whose husband had tackled the annual Everest Marathon. On the contrary, as somebody who has been running up and down mountains for the last 25 years, she was intrigued by the prospect of participating in the Himalayan event. And now, following the sort of adventures which are the stuff of Race Around the World, she has achieved a gold medal in one of the globe's most gruelling challenges. But not before putting herself through the pain barrier to achieve her quest. At the outset, running was an escape for Judith, who lives in Alford and works in Aboyne at the Aimee Christina Hair Salon. But it developed into something else. She said: 'I am mum to one boy and three girls, aged between 21 and 26. 'Since my twin girls were born 21 years ago, I have really enjoyed hill running and it gives me a bit of time to myself. 'It's an addiction now and I run around the local hills on most of my days off. 'I also completed the Bennachie Ultra marathon a few years ago. 'As I did my research, I gave it a lot more thought about what it would be like to take part in the [Everest] Marathon and I signed up to take part. 'My training was three-quarters of the way there because I was already running up the hills every Saturday and in all weather conditions. 'I love Bennachie because it covers a lot of terrain and offers many routes of varying distances. I used Lord Arthur as well, which is close to Alford. 'I was also road running and doing gym work at least four days a week, but after I signed up for the race, I spent most of my time training in the hills.' Last month, Judith flew from Aberdeen to Kathmandu, via London and Doha. She had never travelled alone for so long or been so far away from her family. But, undaunted, she met her guide Sonam and the rest of her group of 19 other competitors the following day. Not all of them finished the journey. She said: 'We were limited to a 10kg bag which was a challenge and contained all the gear we needed for the 19-day trek to Everest Base Camp and the marathon. 'We took a flight to Lukla, reputed to be the most dangerous airport in the world, as it sits in the highest of hills with a very short runway. And we did it in a wee Corgi plane. 'We started hiking the next day from village to village staying in tea huts which were very basic with no heating and cold showers. 'In some of the huts, it was necessary to pay for hot water, WiFi and charging. And the more we hiked up, the more basic they became. 'We were supported by our guide, four Sherpas, eight porters and a group doctor.' It's at this stage we should probably attach a trigger warning for people of a sensitive disposition: the sort of characters who moan there isn't a cafe at the top of Ben Nevis. Yet, whatever romance surrounded Judith's trip, there were other more, ahem, stickier situations for which no amount of warm-ups in Scotland could have prepared her… She told me: 'I was affected by the altitude almost straight away, causing breathlessness when walking, then headaches and nausea and several nose bleeds. 'One of our group became very ill and had to be evacuated to hospital by helicopter. 'Everyday, we got closer to base camp eventually hitting 5,364 metres [17,600 feet]. 'We stayed there in tents for two nights, dealing with extremely cold temperatures in the evenings and mornings. 'Base camp was very busy and basic. There was no electricity, just gas stoves. 'The toilet was a little tent with a blue bucket set in stones. The smell was unbelievable, and it required some deep breaths before entering. 'The food was rice, pasta, potatoes, cold porridge and cold toast for breakfast. 'I was constantly feeling sick with headaches, so trying to eat tasteless food was difficult, but I knew I had to eat to keep the energy levels up. 'Even walking to the toilet and getting in and out of my sleeping bag was an effort and I had real doubts about whether I would be able to run the marathon.' Yet this Alford mum is made of strong stuff. Whatever problems she endured, Judith was also thrilled at the thought of pushing herself to the limit. She said: 'On May 29, I was up at 4.45am, ready to start the race at 7am. It was extremely cold, but I was so excited to get into it. 'The marathon was an amazing experience running through spectacular scenery with people cheering and passing yaks and donkeys loaded with everyday essentials. 'The main challenges were dealing with different weather conditions, extreme temperatures and the altitude. It's definitely not a walk in the park! 'But I completed the marathon in nine hours and 44 minutes, very tired but happy. 'You need to be extremely fit to do this challenge and uphill training and running in rough terrain is very important. 'I was running on tracks with sheer rocky drops looking down on the glacier. 'This was the most spectacular, hardest event I've ever done.' But, of course, there were ample compensations for Judith as she progressed. Indeed, she will never forget the sights she witnessed and heard during her advance. And she has a gold medal and certificate which she will keep for the rest of her life. Overall, the pluses far outweighed the negatives and she would encourage others to follow in her footsteps. But they should also be aware of what they will encounter. She said: 'I would recommend anyone who loves running to consider the challenge of the Everest Marathon, but would add that nothing will really prepare you fully for it. 'It's not for everyone. Two of my group were unable to compete in the marathon due to health issues caused by the altitude. I was lucky. 'One of the positives was meeting the many characters from all over the world and the camaraderie of the runners, trekkers and climbers who venture into the Himalayas. 'I made some new, good friends and the memories will stay with me forever.' Judith was back at work in Aboyne this week, delighed to be reunited with her family, and has no immediate plans to tackle any other ventures on the same scale. But she loves racing into the blue yonder and confirmed she will be in her happy place on Bennachie this weekend, communing with nature and loving it. There might be a rest in Everest, but there's no rest for Judith Taylor. Here's our list of 25 running events in 2025 if you're looking for some running inspiration.
BBC News
02-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Addingham woman with terminal cancer completes Everest Marathon
A woman with incurable breast cancer has said her resilience "paid off" after she completed the Everest Burke, from Addingham, West Yorkshire, was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer in 2024, and has since undergone four months of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, liver surgery and Burke, an associate professor in exercise and health psychology at the University of Leeds, completed the race on 29 May in seven hours and 41 minutes, finishing fourth in her said the marathon - which is the world's highest - was "extremely demanding on the body", as starting at such a high altitude meant there was less oxygen in the air. "The Everest Marathon actually starts at an elevation of 5,300m [17,388ft], which is very taxing on the human body," she explained."The body is under stress because of the low oxygen in the air, so everyday simple tasks - getting in and out of your tent to walk to the dining tent or to walk to the toilet tent - can actually become very difficult."Your heart rate becomes elevated, breathing becomes more laborious - so if you can imagine trying to run a marathon at that altitude, how hard that actually is."Despite this, Dr Burke said the atmosphere among the competitors was "absolutely fantastic", with at least 200 participants from 32 different countries running in the marathon. "Everyone was united by just wanting to be in the mountains and to experience something very different," Dr Burke said. "It is not just a marathon, it is more than that. It passes through the Sherpa villages, passes through the monasteries."It offers that real inside look into the cultural heritage of the Khumbu Valley."Dr Burke, who is Canadian, has been to the Everest region three times before, first visiting back in work involves studying exercise and its effects on cancer, and throughout her cancer treatment she said she had managed to stay fit, running to and from her hospital appointments as a way of has previously climbed four out of the seven highest peaks in the world - Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, Elbrus in Russia, Kilimanjaro in Africa and Everest in Nepal. Dr Burke said the Everest Marathon "played to my strengths as a mountaineer"."I summited Everest in 2005, so I do know what it's like to push myself in high altitudes. "That resilience, I have it within me, and I think it paid off."It took me seven hours and 41 minutes to complete the marathon, you can't compare this to a marathon at sea level."I ended up finishing fourth for females in the foreigner category, so I am very pleased with my result." Dr Burke vowed not to give up on her passion for the mountains, and said: "Bigger mountains are coming next, watch this space."The Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon is an annual race which starts at Everest Base Camp and finishes in the town of Namche is held on 29 May to celebrate the Everest ascent by Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary on the same date in only did Dr Burke complete the marathon, to acclimatise less than two weeks before she also climbed the 20,075ft (6,119m) high Lobuche Peak in Nepal. She has raised more than £10,000 for the Macmillan cancer charity, which helped her during her treatment at Airedale Hospital and St James' Hospital in Leeds. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Woman with terminal cancer to run Everest marathon
A woman with incurable breast cancer is preparing to travel to the Himalayas to take part in the world's highest marathon. Shaunna Burke, 49, from Addingham, West Yorkshire, had booked her place on the Everest Marathon in 2024, but was forced to delay her plans for a year after she was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. The cancer had spread to her liver and in the past 12 months she underwent four months of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, liver surgery and radiotherapy. Dr Burke, a keen mountaineer and associate professor in exercise and health psychology, said: "I approached my treatment like I was training for the hardest climb of my life." This will be her first marathon but not her first major summit. She has previously climbed four out of the seven highest peaks in the world - Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, Elbrus in Russia, Kilimanjaro in Africa and Everest in Nepal. Dr Burke has been to the Everest region three times before, first visiting back in 2003. "Before my diagnosis, I was training for the Everest Marathon and to do this climb," she said. "Then when the diagnosis struck my life, I took a sharp turn and I had to put a lot of short term plans on hold. "Long term plans became very uncertain and at the time of my diagnosis, I thought there might not be a chance that I could get back to Nepal. "There were some some very dark moments when I didn't know what I'd be facing," she said. Dr Burke became the second Canadian woman to summit Everest in 2005 and since then she has also researched the psychology of mountaineering, and the preparation needed for a huge climb like Everest. Dr Burke, whose work involves studying exercise and its effects on cancer, said throughout her cancer treatment she managed to stay fit, running to and from her hospital appointments as a way of coping. "Each time I had treatment, I ran from my house to the chemotherapy bus and parked my car further away from St James's Hospital so I could run three miles to radiotherapy," she said. "Staying active helped me to tolerate my treatment – I experienced few side effects, and it also helped me psychologically." As a researcher into the links between exercise and cancer, Dr Burke said in a surreal way she "applied her own research to her own life". She said: "I approached it with the mentality of a researcher in exercise and cancer. "I'm very familiar with how you get patients ready for treatment, whether that be surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy. "I developed my own 'prehabilitation' plan that was tailored to me, which not only involved exercise, but it also involved looking at a spectrum of elements that I could adapt that would help make my treatment as effective as possible. "That included reducing stress as much as much as I possibly could, ensuring that I had a healthy diet, and then exercise being paramount to to my training plan." As well as running outdoors, Dr Burke has been training at the OTE Performance Centre and Altitude Chamber in Leeds. Her work at the University of Leeds, which has been supported by funders including Macmillan, Yorkshire Cancer Research and Cancer Research UK, have shown that people should keep as active as possible before and during treatment to aid recovery. The Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon is an annual race which starts at Everest Base Camp and finishes in the town of Namche Bazaar. It is held on 29 May to celebrate the Everest ascent by Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary on the same date in 1953. Dr Burke is due to travel to Nepal on 15 May, as before the marathon she is to complete a 6,119 metre (20,075ft) climb of Lobuche Peak. The peak is a separate challenge within the Everest region, which requires technical climbing skills and high-altitude acclimatisation - something she hopes will help prepare her for the marathon. Dr Burke has so far raised more than £7,000 for cancer charity Macmillan, which helped her during her treatment at Airedale Hospital and St James' Hospital in Leeds. Lisa Martin, relationship fundraising lead for Macmillan, said: "This is a monumental challenge and we are behind Shaunna all the way. "We are so grateful that she has decided to donate the money raised to Macmillan, as whatever she raises will go a long way in providing vital support for people living with cancer. "Shaunna is so dedicated to this challenge and wish her all the very best of luck. Shaunna – thank you so much for supporting Macmillan." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Veteran finishes Everest marathon in citrus outfit Deaf and blind marathon runner on track for Everest England to Everest - The triathlon to the top of the world Everest Marathon Macmillan Cancer Support University of Leeds
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Woman with terminal cancer to run Everest marathon
A woman with incurable breast cancer is preparing to travel to the Himalayas to take part in the world's highest marathon. Shaunna Burke, 49, from Addingham, West Yorkshire, had booked her place on the Everest Marathon in 2024, but was forced to delay her plans for a year after she was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. The cancer had spread to her liver and in the past 12 months she underwent four months of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, liver surgery and radiotherapy. Dr Burke, a keen mountaineer and associate professor in exercise and health psychology, said: "I approached my treatment like I was training for the hardest climb of my life." This will be her first marathon but not her first major summit. She has previously climbed four out of the seven highest peaks in the world - Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, Elbrus in Russia, Kilimanjaro in Africa and Everest in Nepal. Dr Burke has been to the Everest region three times before, first visiting back in 2003. "Before my diagnosis, I was training for the Everest Marathon and to do this climb," she said. "Then when the diagnosis struck my life, I took a sharp turn and I had to put a lot of short term plans on hold. "Long term plans became very uncertain and at the time of my diagnosis, I thought there might not be a chance that I could get back to Nepal. "There were some some very dark moments when I didn't know what I'd be facing," she said. Dr Burke became the second Canadian woman to summit Everest in 2005 and since then she has also researched the psychology of mountaineering, and the preparation needed for a huge climb like Everest. Dr Burke, whose work involves studying exercise and its effects on cancer, said throughout her cancer treatment she managed to stay fit, running to and from her hospital appointments as a way of coping. "Each time I had treatment, I ran from my house to the chemotherapy bus and parked my car further away from St James's Hospital so I could run three miles to radiotherapy," she said. "Staying active helped me to tolerate my treatment – I experienced few side effects, and it also helped me psychologically." As a researcher into the links between exercise and cancer, Dr Burke said in a surreal way she "applied her own research to her own life". She said: "I approached it with the mentality of a researcher in exercise and cancer. "I'm very familiar with how you get patients ready for treatment, whether that be surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy. "I developed my own 'prehabilitation' plan that was tailored to me, which not only involved exercise, but it also involved looking at a spectrum of elements that I could adapt that would help make my treatment as effective as possible. "That included reducing stress as much as much as I possibly could, ensuring that I had a healthy diet, and then exercise being paramount to to my training plan." As well as running outdoors, Dr Burke has been training at the OTE Performance Centre and Altitude Chamber in Leeds. Her work at the University of Leeds, which has been supported by funders including Macmillan, Yorkshire Cancer Research and Cancer Research UK, have shown that people should keep as active as possible before and during treatment to aid recovery. The Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon is an annual race which starts at Everest Base Camp and finishes in the town of Namche Bazaar. It is held on 29 May to celebrate the Everest ascent by Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary on the same date in 1953. Dr Burke is due to travel to Nepal on 15 May, as before the marathon she is to complete a 6,119 metre (20,075ft) climb of Lobuche Peak. The peak is a separate challenge within the Everest region, which requires technical climbing skills and high-altitude acclimatisation - something she hopes will help prepare her for the marathon. Dr Burke has so far raised more than £7,000 for cancer charity Macmillan, which helped her during her treatment at Airedale Hospital and St James' Hospital in Leeds. Lisa Martin, relationship fundraising lead for Macmillan, said: "This is a monumental challenge and we are behind Shaunna all the way. "We are so grateful that she has decided to donate the money raised to Macmillan, as whatever she raises will go a long way in providing vital support for people living with cancer. "Shaunna is so dedicated to this challenge and wish her all the very best of luck. Shaunna – thank you so much for supporting Macmillan." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Veteran finishes Everest marathon in citrus outfit Deaf and blind marathon runner on track for Everest England to Everest - The triathlon to the top of the world Everest Marathon Macmillan Cancer Support University of Leeds
BBC News
27-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Addingham woman with incurable cancer to run Everest marathon
A woman with incurable breast cancer is preparing to travel to the Himalayas to take part in the world's highest marathon. Shaunna Burke, 49, from Addingham, West Yorkshire, had booked her place on the Everest Marathon in 2024, but was forced to delay her plans for a year after she was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. The cancer had spread to her liver and in the past 12 months she underwent four months of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, liver surgery and Burke, a keen mountaineer and associate professor in exercise and health psychology, said: "I approached my treatment like I was training for the hardest climb of my life." This will be her first marathon but not her first major has previously climbed four out of the seven highest peaks in the world - Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, Elbrus in Russia, Kilimanjaro in Africa and Everest in Burke has been to the Everest region three times before, first visiting back in 2003."Before my diagnosis, I was training for the Everest Marathon and to do this climb," she said."Then when the diagnosis struck my life, I took a sharp turn and I had to put a lot of short term plans on hold. "Long term plans became very uncertain and at the time of my diagnosis, I thought there might not be a chance that I could get back to Nepal."There were some some very dark moments when I didn't know what I'd be facing," she Burke became the second Canadian woman to summit Everest in 2005 and since then she has also researched the psychology of mountaineering, and the preparation needed for a huge climb like Everest. Dr Burke, whose work involves studying exercise and its effects on cancer, said throughout her cancer treatment she managed to stay fit, running to and from her hospital appointments as a way of coping. "Each time I had treatment, I ran from my house to the chemotherapy bus and parked my car further away from St James's Hospital so I could run three miles to radiotherapy," she said. "Staying active helped me to tolerate my treatment – I experienced few side effects, and it also helped me psychologically."As a researcher into the links between exercise and cancer, Dr Burke said in a surreal way she "applied her own research to her own life".She said: "I approached it with the mentality of a researcher in exercise and cancer. "I'm very familiar with how you get patients ready for treatment, whether that be surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy."I developed my own 'prehabilitation' plan that was tailored to me, which not only involved exercise, but it also involved looking at a spectrum of elements that I could adapt that would help make my treatment as effective as possible. "That included reducing stress as much as much as I possibly could, ensuring that I had a healthy diet, and then exercise being paramount to to my training plan."As well as running outdoors, Dr Burke has been training at the OTE Performance Centre and Altitude Chamber in Leeds. Her work at the University of Leeds, which has been supported by funders including Macmillan, Yorkshire Cancer Research and Cancer Research UK, have shown that people should keep as active as possible before and during treatment to aid recovery. The Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon is an annual race which starts at Everest Base Camp and finishes in the town of Namche Bazaar. It is held on 29 May to celebrate the Everest ascent by Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary on the same date in Burke is due to travel to Nepal on 15 May, as before the marathon she is to complete a 6,119 metre (20,075ft) climb of Lobuche Peak. The peak is a separate challenge within the Everest region, which requires technical climbing skills and high-altitude acclimatisation - something she hopes will help prepare her for the marathon. Dr Burke has so far raised more than £7,000 for cancer charity Macmillan, which helped her during her treatment at Airedale Hospital and St James' Hospital in Leeds. Lisa Martin, relationship fundraising lead for Macmillan, said: "This is a monumental challenge and we are behind Shaunna all the way."We are so grateful that she has decided to donate the money raised to Macmillan, as whatever she raises will go a long way in providing vital support for people living with cancer."Shaunna is so dedicated to this challenge and wish her all the very best of luck. Shaunna – thank you so much for supporting Macmillan." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
