Bo'ness cancer survivor, 25, sails the seas thanks to Ellen MacArthur charity

Olivia Thom, 25, was diagnosed with an astrocytoma – a type of brain tumour – in 2020 and was only too glad to take advantage of the wonderful opportunities the charity gave her.

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

Olivia said: “You’re not straight back to normal after cancer. You’re not the same person you were before, you can’t be expected to just keep going. Like, I can’t stay up as late, or go out like I used to.

"The thought of going out sounds great, but I just know I couldn’t do it, and then you feel like you’d be letting people down if you went and had to leave early. It’s good there are people you can talk to who understand why you don’t feel like you’re back to normal. They get that you’re not back to being a hundred percent.

“It takes time. It’s not just a click of the fingers. It’s nice being around people who get that and being who you want to be. Being with the charity has helped me make loads of new, fantastic friends.”

Through the charity’s sailing and outdoor adventures, young people gain a new sense of purpose and self-worth, rediscover their independence, and feel optimistic about what comes next in life. They realise what they are capable of, stop feeling like ‘the only one’, and their mental wellbeing improves.

They start to re-establish their purpose and place in the world and believe in a brighter future.

Olivia had previously sailed with the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust in Largs twice before, in 2024 and 2023.

She said: “It gives you time away from what you’ve been going through. You leave all of that behind for a while. You go out sailing, and people understand if you need a break, if you need to sleep for half an hour. You don’t have to worry.

“This was the first time I got to see porpoises, so that was great.”

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