Today was the Terry Fox Run in Wrexham. What a rewarding way to launch the first such run in Wales. More than 300 people turned out to run 5 km or walk 2.5 km around Wrexham's beautiful Bellevue Park. The goal was to raise funds for the UK's Institute of Cancer Research in the name of Canada's national hero, Terry Fox.

Among the people I met at today's run was Chris Bakal, professor at The Institute of Cancer Research. I learned from Chris that "In the 1990s, scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research identified the breast cancer 2 gene, BRCA2, and mutations in it that greatly increase the carrier’s risk of developing breast cancer and other cancers." As a carrier of an inherited gene mutation in my BRCA2 gene, I not only developed ovarian cancer but was also assessed to be at a very high risk of developing breast cancer.

The Institute's website goes on to say that "The discovery of the BRCA2 gene has enabled families with a history of breast, ovarian and prostate cancer to be assessed for future risk, and where necessary offered preventative measures or close monitoring." After being diagnosed with and treated for ovarian cancer and learning of my faulty BRCA2 gene, I opted for a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy to greatly reduce my risk of breast cancer.

The Institute's discovery of the BRCA2 gene mutation "was also a critical step in the development, 10 years later, of a novel form of therapy targeted at BRCA associated cancers." That therapy was a PARP inhibitor called olaparib, which helps to prevent the growth of tumours. I have been taking olaparib since 2021 and have, thanks to this therapy, avoided a recurrence of ovarian cancer.

It felt like a full-circle moment to participate in the Terry Fox Run in Wrexham and to recognize the work of The Institute of Cancer Research, which has benefited me personally.

In tomorrow's post, I will reflect on some of the moments from the past three days that I have not yet covered in my posts. It will be an early rise tomorrow as Shane and I make our way back to Canada, grateful for the warmth and welcome of the people of Wrexham.