Erin Kennedy: Paralympic champion says 'early detection is key' after getting cancer all-clear

Erin Kennedy, far left, says it has been an "emotional week"

Paralympic champion Erin Kennedy said "early detection is key" and stressed the importance of "knowing your normal" following a breast cancer diagnosis last May.

Kennedy, 30, finished chemotherapy in December and had a double mastectomy and reconstruction in January.

The British cox, who has now been given the all-clear, is set to return to training on the water on Monday.

"It's been amazing and a really emotional week," she said.

"I'm still getting use to the fact I'm all-clear."

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, the world and European champion added: "A lot can happen in a year. I was diagnosed on 25 May and I'm here in mid-March with an all-clear.

"I think the biggest thing I could possibly say is that early detection is really key and it really does save lives.

"I was really proactive about checking myself and knowing what my normal was and actually found a lump on a training camp. I got it checked really quickly and as a result I was able to get it treated really quickly.

"The type of breast cancer that I had - the triple negative - can actually be one of the hardest but because I found it so early, it has been so successful."

Kennedy says she is doing "really well" following her surgery.

"The recovery from the mastectomy was actually really positive," she added. "I did a lot of prehab and basically approached my surgery like an athlete.

"I really focused on exercise and being as fit as I possibly could be going into the surgery so that my recovery on the other side would be, essentially, as good as it possibly could be."

European Championships 'a huge goal'

Kennedy continued to compete after her diagnosis, winning gold at the European Championships in August.

That victory was the last time Kennedy has been in the boat.

With the 2023 European Championships the next target, she said: "It's actually a bit emotional for me. I'm trialling for that at the moment and should find out if I get the seat early in May.

"It happens in the end of May and what's mental about it is that the first day of the championships is a year to the day that I got diagnosed.

"So for me that's such a huge goal to be working towards because if I could get there and get that seat, I'll essentially be back doing my first day of international competition exactly one year to the day that I got diagnosed with cancer."