Sharnbrook mum runs TCS London Marathon after charity transforms daughter’s cancer recovery

The charity played a vital role in her daughter's recovery journey after her leukaemia diagnosis, and now she is determined to give something back.

Jude Goodacre, 54, will run and fundraise for the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust, which supported her daughter Isabel through transformational sailing adventures after she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), a type of blood cancer.

The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust takes young people aged 8-24 on sailing and outdoor adventures to inspire them to believe in a brighter future living through and beyond cancer.

Jude said: “When my daughter was in the first year of treatment for ALL, we couldn’t go on holiday. Isabel loved the outdoors, and our specialist nurse, Alison, told us about the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust and said she would put Isabel forward for the next year. We all found this very exciting and something to look forward to.

“I have seen and experienced the difference the Trust can make. We always said that when Isabel came back from the trip she was like the ‘old Isabel’. It was’t just the sailing, although that was an incredible experience in itself. It was the other young people, and - most importantly - the kind of magic in the way the trips are run. I want to help others have that.

“I am an ordinary person whose daughter was poorly and benefitted hugely from a charity that an extraordinary person, Ellen MacArthur, decided to set up just to help. She didn’t have to do that. I feel that it is important to give back.”

Whether diagnosed as a child, teenager, or young adult, cancer has a lasting impacting on mental wellbeing. Friendships and relationships can suffer, education may be disrupted, and many young people face body image challenges and late effects that continue long after treatment ends.

Through the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust's sailing and outdoor adventures, young people rediscover their independence, find a renewed sense of purpose and self-worth, and begin to feel optimistic about what comes next. They realise they are not alone, and their mental wellbeing improves.

Jude has not fundraised for the Trust before, although she once ‘volunteered her husband’ for an epic bike ride between the charity’s two bases, from Largs on Scotland’s west coast to Cowes on the Isle of Wight. She will fit her marathon training - especially strength work - around her role as a Deputy Head of Pastoral and Student Progress, her Open University course and walking the family dog.

She said: “I am excited about running past incredible London landmarks and proud to take on the marathon having raised money for - and helped shine a light on - such a wonderful charity.”

The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust is there for anyone who needs somewhere to turn, no matter how long off treatment they are. Visit ellenmacarthurcancertrust.org or follow @emctrust on social media.

If you would like to donate to Jude's marathon, please visit: https://2026tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/jude-goodacre