Loughborough grandmother cycles hundreds of miles for breast cancer after her own diagnosis

  • Denise tells ITV News Central about how cancer has affected her family and inspired her fundraising

Denise Roberts, a grandmother from Loughborough has raised over £20,000 for breast cancer charities. Now she's about to take on another challenge.

Denise, aged 65, was diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2022 - after completing charity cycle rides in Kenya, Cuba, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Costa Rica, raising tens of thousands of pounds for cancer charities.

Now she has finished treatment, Denise is preparing to cycle over 100 miles from Bayana to Jaipur, in India, to raise even more money for charity.

She is one of the faces of Asda's 'Tickled Pink' campaign launched in October, for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The campaign by Asda, Breast Cancer Now and CoppaFeel is encouraging shoppers to check their breasts, pecs and chests for the signs and symptoms of breast cancer.

After surgery and 15 sessions of radiotherapy, Denise is urging people to check for signs of cancer - and credits a car park mobile screening unit with changing her life.

The most common signs of breast cancer, according to the NHS:

  • a swelling or lump in an armpit or breast

  • a change in the size or shape of one or both breasts

  • discharge from either nipple

  • dimpling on the skin of your breasts

  • a rash on or around your nipple

  • a change in the appearance of your nipple, such as becoming sunken into your breast

The NHS says that if you have any concerns, it's always best to speak to a doctor, and encourage people to check their breasts regularly so that it's easier to notice changes and potential problems.

Denise is the face of this year's 'Tickled Pink' breast cancer campaign. Credit: ITV News Central

She says: "The routine screening mammogram I had which detected my cancer took only 13 minutes, well, less actually as that was the length of time the pay and display system said my car was in the car park near the mobile screening unit.

"So, for anyone thinking it is too inconvenient and time consuming to go this shows that it isn’t, those 13 minutes probably saved my life, they certainly changed it."

Speaking to ITV News Central, Denise added: "I lost a couple of aunts in the 80s to breast cancer, and ever since then I felt that I didn't do enough at the time because my children were small, and I couldn't, really. But I've always felt that I should do something more to raise awareness."

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