Amputee repeats cancer charity walk

Bethany Barnes was first diagnosed with osteosarcoma when she was 22

An ex-servicewoman who was diagnosed with bone cancer hopes to repeat the same charity walk she completed before becoming an amputee.

Bethany Barnes, from Egremont in Cumbria, walked 11km (6.8m) around Ennerdale Water following her first bone cancer diagnosis in December 2019.

She raised £4,700 for the Bone Cancer Research Trust, then a recurrence of her cancer in October 2023 meant she had to have her leg and part of her pelvis removed

Ms Barnes says doing the walk again is a way to "finish off my cancer story".

"I have been so lucky to have had my first daughter, during the three years I was clear of cancer, which I am forever blessed for," she said.

"We have all been given another shot at life and can learn to adapt to our limitations, which is a message I hope to convey through this challenge.”

Losing her leg meant Bethany was medically discharged from her job in the Royal Navy

Ms Barnes was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, the most common form of primary bone cancer in children and young adults, when she was 22.

Her treatment involved nine months of chemotherapy followed by surgery to replace her right hip, knee and thigh bone with a metal prosthesis.

In October 2023, just ten months after giving birth, Bethany was diagnosed with a recurrence of osteosarcoma in her hip.

Her entire leg and part of her pelvis were removed which meant a medical discharge from the Royal Navy, where she had worked since 2014.

Bethany Barnes says she feels she has been given another shot at life

Xanthe Hopkinson, regional relationship manager at the Bone Cancer Research Trust, described her as "truly inspiring."

“We are so in awe of Bethany’s strength and determination and we would like to wish her all the best for the next walk,” she said.

Ms Barnes's walk will take place on the 13 July, leaving Bleach Green car park at 11:00 BST.