Northampton woman with terminal cancer launches charity

A woman from Northampton living with a terminal cancer diagnosis hopes she can inspire others living with cancer to keep moving by setting up a new charity.

Victoria Skinner (known as Tor) has experienced cancer for almost a decade, since being originally diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 2015:

"I was originally diagnosed when I was only 28 years old and with that stage 3 breast cancer, it then unfortunately came back in 2021 and the cancer is now in my bones. So I am living with terminal cancer, stage 4, breast cancer secondary breast cancer where the cancer has spread to my sternum, pelvis, hip, shoulder, spine. Yeah, I'm kind of riddled with cancer, unfortunately."

Still here and stronger than ever

But she loves to move her body and grew her confidence despite her cancer diagnosis with regular training sessions at the Empowerment Training Centre (ETC) in Northampton.

That's when Tor’s confidence grew to new levels and she took part in a Global Fitness Competition Hyrox, raising over £33,000. That's where she decided to start a charity to help others. She was the first person to complete a Women’s Solo Hyrox and has since gone on to compete again, showing even more of the benefits of exercise whilst undergoing continuous cancer treatment.

The money raised has now set up the Tor-Rox Foundation which aims to help those with cancer to keep active, in a way that's built for them as Tor explains:

"The charity's mission is simple, to empower people living with cancer through exercise. The charity will provide financial grants to support people in gaining access to specialist exercise programmes to access independent facilities that are catered to support their needs.

So we're talking about small group PT. We're not offering a grant to say go and join a gym. We're offering specialist one-on-one real support."

"If I can do it, anybody can do it."

Tor admits during treatment there were days she didn't want to exercise:

"I'll be honest, sometimes when you are having that treatment, the last thing you want to do is go to the gym. But I'm really passionate that it can help improve, not just physically, but mentally. And so that's what I really want to help others do."

She credits keeping active with her health now, as she was given three years to live in 2021:

"At one point, I had cancerous fluid on my lung, and I couldn't even walk up the stairs to now being able to lift weights and lift my daughter. That's that's all that I do it for really. So, if anyone's listening and thinking, oh, I could never do that, you absolutely could, because if I can do it, anybody can do it."

Tor says she wants to build a legacy for her daughter Isla and all cancer warriors.

The Tor-Rox Foundation is having alaunch eventon Wednesday 26 March at the Picturedrome on Kettering Road in Northampton.

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