Nadine Reilly, 48, from Dundee, raised money for Maggie’s 500km cycle challenge after her breast cancer diagnosis
EXPERIENCE
“I’ve always been fit, healthy and active and got into cycling around seven years ago. I was mainly a road cyclist, cycling alone before I joined a Dundee cycling club in 2018. That’s where I met my partner, Paul.
I did some endurance cycling, including a 200-mile road ride in 2019 and the 150-mile Deeside Loop. Paul introduced me to off-road cycling in 2020. Three months later I borrowed his mountain bike and did the Deadwater 100 British Mountain Bike Marathon Champs race at Kielder Forest. I loved it and bought my own mountain bike after that.
Paul and I regularly cycled four times a week and in October last year we set up our own club, Dundee Dynamo CC. But this April, I was diagnosed with Grade 2 breast cancer, which came as a total shock. Results from additional biopsies showed that I had high-grade ductal carcinoma in situ. That meant it was very likely things could worsen so I’d have to have a full mastectomy.
After many difficult discussions with the medical team, I decided on TUG (transverse upper gracilis) reconstructive surgery after the mastectomy, which takes the skin, fat, blood vessels and a small section of muscle from the inner thigh. At this time, I heard about Maggie’s Gran Fondo 500km cycling fundraiser [to cycle 250 or 500km between May and September, anywhere you liked]. Maggie’s is a breast cancer charity that’s helped me with support and advice.
I only had three weeks before surgery to complete the Gran Fondo. Paul and I decided to do the whole 500km off-road. Until that point, I’d only told close family and work about my diagnosis, but signing up to do the challenge gave me the confidence to tell others. The weather wasn’t kind to us, but we completed the challenge in just over
