Exmouth woman to run TCS London Marathon for cancer charity
A Devon woman will take on the TCS London Marathon 2026 to raise money for Dame Ellen MacArthur’s cancer charity for young people, which supported her after she was diagnosed with cancer in 2022.
Freya Sampson, 23, from Exmouth joined one of the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust’s transformational sailing adventures in 2024, having been diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma two years prior, and returned for a second trip last summer.
The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust takes young people aged 8-24 on sailing and outdoor adventures to inspire them to believe in a brighter future living through and beyond cancer.
Freya said: “I never thought I’d ever run in the London Marathon, but I received an email from the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust about applying for a place to support them and I just thought, why not, not thinking I’d actually get a place! Years ago I actually said to myself that I would love to run in the London Marathon, so it was obviously meant to be! It will definitely be a great experience and running with purpose makes it even better.
“The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust has given me such a good opportunity. I had never sailed before, and I love everything about their trips. It’s such a lovely thing to do, and being surrounded by people who have been through similar experiences as you and can relate to you is so nice.
“The furthest I’d ever ran was around 5km, so I am definitely a beginner! I am so far really enjoying the training, and I’m really looking forward to the full day experience and getting to the finish line.”
Whether diagnosed as a child, teenager, or young adult, cancer has a big impact on mental wellbeing beyond treatment. Friendships and relationships suffer, education is impacted, and young people can live with body image issues and late effects that last way beyond their cancer.
Through the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust’s sailing and outdoor adventures, young people gain a new sense of purpose and self-worth, rediscover their independence, and feel optimistic about what comes next in life. They realise what they are capable of, stop feeling like ‘the only one’, and their mental wellbeing improves.
Freya continued: “Keeping motivated over the winter with the wetter weather will be a challenge. I am mixing up my training with both cardio and strength work. I enjoy the classes at my local gym, including spinning, kettle bells, body pump and pilates. I have just joined a Saturday running class so I don’t have to do all my longer runs on my own.
“I want to complete the challenge knowing I have gotten fitter and into good habits. I want to keep up the fitness even after I’ve completed the marathon, and hopefully sign myself up for events in the future. I’ll also be so happy when I cross the finish line and raise my £2,000 target for the charity.”
The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust is there for anyone who needs somewhere to turn, no matter how long off treatment they are. Visit ellenmacarthurcancertrust.org or follow @emctrust on social media.
Freya's fundraising page can be found here: https://2026tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/freya-sampson
