An inspiring woman from the Isle of Wight is taking on the challenge of walking the Great Wall of China in support of a breast cancer charity.
Ruth Dawson, 40, is one of 120 people selected to complete the CoppaTrek! with Giovanna Fletcher in September for the charity CoppaFeel!.
Ruth, from Cowes, was chosen from over 3,000 applicants to take on the challenge in September 2026, where the group will complete around 50 kilometres a day over five days.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer in November 2024 and said the story of the charity’s co-founder, Kristin Hallenga, helped her to her diagnosis.
Kristin was diagnosed with breast cancer aged 23.
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Ruth said: “It’s quite scary advocating for yourself and pushing for answers, and it was Kris who inspired me – I saw her documentary and noticed her when I was younger.
“Even when facing a huge battle, she was full of life. It pushed me to keep going back to the hospital.”
She is now on monthly injections and daily medications and having regular check-ups – she said her cancer diagnosis is something she would ‘carry with her forever.’
Ruth said her mission was to ensure breast cancers are diagnosed quickly and accurately, and highlighted the prevalence of breast cancer among young women, despite it commonly being viewed as affecting only older people.
To donate to her JustGiving page, follow this link.
Coppafeel! treks involve celebrity captains, and she said her dream team leader would be either Roy Keane or Paul Scholes.
To train, Ruth has been completing walks on the Island including her ‘Gurnard loop’ and Sandown to Shanklin, and may go to Scafell Pike in Cumbria or Snowdon in Wales with her two sons as a more intense training hike.
She will take part in the Isle of Wight Ultra Challenge on Saturday, May 2 and plans to do some more events in the runup to the trip to China.
She has already raised the £4,000 required to go on the hike and is keen to raise even more money for the charity.
On how she might feel when she gets to the Great Wall of China, Ruth said she thought she would be ‘blown away’ and ‘in for a shock’ and thanked her friends and family for their support.
