Thinking Pink

As many of you may, or may not, know October 2013 is the International Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  All over the world events are taking place to highlight the prevalence of breast cancer in society and raise funds to further the work of the many breast cancer charities around the world.

In Sierra Leone work is going on to advocate for the rights of breast cancer victims to access quality healthcare services.  Currently treatment for breast cancer is virtually non-existent.  The result of this is that women have to leave the country for treatment.

The leading organisation in this area is the Thinking Pink Breast Cancer Foundation.  This organisation is determined to appeal, through education and advocacy, about the need of women to be breast cancer aware.  Go here to find out more about their work in Sierra Leone.

Why mention this?  Well on 5 October the Thinking Pink Breast Cancer Foundation, Bernie Forster Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Freetown Hash House Harriers came together to organise the Freetown Mini Marathon 2013.  This was a 13.5km run from downtown Freetown to the beach in Aberdeen.  So at 8.30 that morning runners gathered at the Cotton Tree to set out on the challenge.

There was a great feeling of camaraderie at the start as we wondered how it would all go.  It was amazing!  The organisation was top notch with traffic stopped (not all the time so there was some dodging of taxis) and water was provided at 3 points on the course.  It took Heather (my half marathon partner) and I around 90 minutes which we were very happy with.  Here we are with some fellow finishers.

Me, Kat, Michelle and Heather