A Scottish woman diagnosed with breast cancer during the coronavirus pandemic has been chosen to be the face of a new line of sportswear supporting research into the disease.
Jane Grove was chosen to model Adidas' new Strength in Nature collection after undergoing a mastectomy in December 2020 and both chemo and radiotherapy in early 2021. The 53-year-old Glaswegian says she relied on exercise to stay positive during her treatment - and her upbeat attitude to her cancer fight inspired Adidas bosses to recruit her for the campaign.
The limited edition clothing is only available during October - Breast Cancer Awareness Month - and has been picked to encourage everyone to enjoy the outdoors regardless of health issues. In the snaps, alongside other models who have their own cancer stories, Jane is seen smiling and wearing the new one-off shoes, jackets and tops designed for hiking and mountain biking.
The mum lost a stone before her surgery by walking 10k a day with pup Archie to maximise her chances of recovering well - and just 10 days after her operation she walked the 5K Beatson Santa Dash. She says being part of the new Adidas collection is "so important" because of how much she relied on nature to keep her going during her treatment.
She said: "I found it important to stay active throughout chemotherapy and found that moving just a little helped with the mental impact of cancer treatment. I went for daily walks, runs or cycles, depending on the impact of my treatment and how exhausted I was.
"Throughout this time, I took photos of flowers, the trees, and my happy dog - enjoying my time in nature. I remember being so elated on a rainy evening in March as I walked through the park. I looked around to see that nobody was nearby and whipped off my hat to feel the cooling rain soothing my poor baldy head. It was fantastic."
She added that it was "lovely" to have the sportswear giant encourage people to get outdoors regardless of ability - describing herself as a "lumpy trier" rather than a "gazelle".
She summed up: "The feeling of well-being that I gain from being outdoors cannot be overstated and the weather, the seasons, all played a part in my journey to recovery."
The Adidas collection has been created in partnership with Breast Cancer Now, a research and support charity, which will receive £15 from every piece of clothing sold from the Strength in Nature collection.
Rachael Franklin, the charity's director of fundraising, said: "In the UK, one woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every 10 minutes and one man is diagnosed every day – and alarmingly, without urgent action this will rise to one woman being diagnosed in the UK every eight minutes by 2030.
"We know the positive impact the outdoors can have on our mental and physical health, and regular exercise can also reduce the risk of breast cancer. That’s why we’re so grateful to adidas for not only raising awareness and vital funds but also helping everyone to find strength in nature."
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