Rare cancer survivor raises £150,000 for charity

Ten years ago, Andrea Sheardown was reeling from being told she had just six weeks to live after being diagnosed with rare bile duct cancer.

Today, she is celebrating after raising a total of £150,000 for charity.

The 53-year-old, from Sandbach, Cheshire, has spent the past eight years trekking, climbing and cycling in various parts of the world to raise money for AMMF - The Cholangiocarcinoma Charity.

Her latest challenge, in February, saw her cycle nearly 500 miles (800km) through India, and raise more than £26,000.

"It does not feel real," the mother-of-three said, of hitting the £150,000 benchmark.

"It's crazy to think that's the total from all these bizarre challenges I get myself into."

She has previously trekked to Everest base camp, cycled from Vietnam to Cambodia, and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and Rainbow Mountain in the Peruvian Andes.

"All of that obviously benefitting such an amazing charity," she said.

Ms Sheardown's journey through India saw her spend nine days cycling from Chennai to Kochi with her husband, daughter and 21 friends - up and down the Western Ghat mountain range.

She admitted it was "absolutely horrific" at times.

"There were some people that joined me on the challenge that have done some serious bike riding before, and even they were shocked at the intensity," she explained.

One day the group climbed 13 miles (21km).

"There was no plateaus, no sections of that 21km where you could really get your breath back," recalled Ms Sheardown.

"I've never, ever, on any of the cycle challenges, faced anything quite like that."

She is already planning her next challenge - travelling to Ecuador to climb five volcanoes, two of which are active.

"I've always had a fascination with volcanoes," she said. "It's a bucket-list challenge for me, and one that really would bring me even more out of my comfort zone."

So why does she keep pushing herself to her limits?

"It's not the norm with the cancer that I've had to survive – not even to survive the initial six weeks I was given," she said. "And every time I go for a scan, the scariness comes back.

"The challenge is just, keep our family connected and make amazing memories.

"If it all changed again tomorrow, they can't be taken away."

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