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SALLY'S STORY
Sally Orange MBE is an endurance runner, adventure athlete & mental health campaigner.
She is the only person on the planet to complete a marathon on every continent in fancy dress (as different pieces of fruit!), which gives you a flavour of her colourful personality.
She holds multiple Guinness world records and world firsts, has run over 80 marathons, completed 8 full Ironman triathlons and has completed 22 years’ exemplary service in the Royal Army Medical Corps as a Physiotherapy Officer. This included an operational tour of duty in Afghanistan.
Sally captained the first British female team to complete the relentless Race Across America, the worlds toughest cycle race and has also ran the toughest footrace on earth, the Marathon des Sables. Add cycling the length of New Zealand, swimming the English Channel Relay, climbing several 6000m+ mountains in Nepal and Bolivia and skiing 250km across the largest plateau in the Arctic circle and you will gain an understanding of her zest for life!
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Having faced her own challenges with severe depression and chronic anxiety, Sally speaks openly in an attempt to remove the associated stigma. She encourages others to manage their own mental well being through healthy eating, physical activity and a positive mindset.
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In 2023 Sally was awarded an MBE for her services to charity and mental health in the King's first Birthday Honours List.
My Cancer Journey
In March 2025, I was diagnosed with invasive lobular breast cancer, after finding a lump in my breast when getting undressed in a changing room.
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The very first thing I said to my breast consultant was, "I don't have time for cancer" as I had the London Marathon and Everest Marathon in Nepal ahead of me, and in that moment I genuinely believed I could somehow fit cancer around them.
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The months that followed brought surgery, 4.5 months of chemotherapy and 15 sessions of radiotherapy, with a few hiccups along the way with e-coli sepsis and pneumonia. There was also lot of uncertainty, fear and challenges that come with a cancer diagnosis and like like so many others going through treatment, there were good days and difficult days. I learned to celebrate the small victories and accept that sometimes just getting out of bed was enough.
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Running became my way of coping. On the days I was able, I would run to my chemotherapy appointments, not because I was trying to prove anything, but because it helped me feel like I still had some control and reminded me of who I was beyond my diagnosis. Halfway through chemotherapy, I also completed a 50km ultramarathon. It wasn't about setting records or being remarkable, it was simply about reminding myself that cancer didn't get to define me.
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Throughout my journey, I was surrounded by incredible support from family, friends and the amazing NHS teams who cared for me and their kindness genuinely carried me through the toughest moments.
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My experience inspired me to create the 'Great British Boob Run', a challenge to raise awareness of the importance of early detection, encourage people to check their breasts and support charities helping those affected by breast cancer.
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If sharing my story encourages just one person to recognise a symptom, seek advice or check themselves, then every mile of this challenge will have been worthwhile.
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Because early detection saves lives, and together we can put breast cancer firmly on the map.
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