Despite Cancer Diagnosis, Britian's Erin Kennedy Wins Gold In European Championships Munich 2022

Great Britian's Paralympic champion Kennedy faces her toughest battle to date but is tackling breast cancer treatment with tenacity, optimism and by continuing in the sport she loves.

The British para rowing cox, who celebrated her 30th birthday earlier this month, was diagnosed with breast cancer in May.

Anyone who goes through chemotherapy is tough. But Erin Kennedy takes it to another level.

The inspirational rowing cox led her boat to gold while in the middle of a course of treatment for breast cancer.

Mrs Kennedy, claimed first place alongside her Great Britain crew at the European para-rowing championships in Munich yesterday.

She only received a diagnosis of breast cancer three months ago – since when she has undergone two rounds of chemotherapy – but has vowed that 'cancer won't define me or my career'.

Today's been really emotional for me,' said a tearful Mrs Kennedy. 'I'm really holding it together. I'm just really proud of the team. It's a lot for me to take but it's also a lot for them. They've picked me up every time.'

Mrs Kennedy, who was awarded an MBE earlier this year for services to rowing, will now take some time off from her sport to continue treatment.

But she has every intention of being back to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics. 'If there's anything motivating me to get better it's to come back and take this crew to Paris,' she told the BBC. Mrs Kennedy, who has previously won a Paralympic gold as well as world titles, explained: 'I've had two rounds of chemotherapy so far.

She joked: 'My oncologist is just totally on board with this so don't worry. I'm not sort of running away from her and hiding it from her.'

I'm getting off my flight on Tuesday into an oncology appointment and have bloods taken to have chemotherapy on the Thursday. So that will be my round three. And then at the end of the month I'll have round four.

'From that moment it will be every other week and then after that I'll have weekly treatment for 12 weeks. It's a sabbatical, it's not a stop. And, all being well, I'll be back for racing next spring and I'll fight anyone who says I won't.' 

Mrs Kennedy has won acclaim for using her profile to urge women to check their breasts and has been frank about the physical impacts of chemotherapy.

In remarks to Olympics.com, she discussed the shock of receiving the diagnosis earlier this year and the realisation that she would have to undergo gruelling treatment.

But she added: 'Genuinely, I was like, 'What about rowing because it's a fundamental part of my life?' It's not something that I would ever want to just walk away from. I wasn't just going to basically go home and sit and wallow.'