Lisa Norman is to start the 2003 Race for Life for the third year in succession. The first time, the former Kent police officer was still recovering from major breast surgery and the effects of chemotheraphy. But she never gave up hope that she would recover and now Race for Life organisers have again made her Patron of Hope for the South of England. Here she tells Emily Hall how she dealt with months of treatment

TO SAY Lisa Norman has a positive attitude would be an understatement.

The 30-year-old was diagnosed with breast cancer in November 2000 and within five months had undergone intensive chemotherapy and a full mastectomy.

But Lisa, from Bearsted, near Maidstone, never gave up hope that she would beat the killer disease.

She said: "It all happened so quickly. It was like an out-of-body experience. I didn't realise it was happening to me. I went from having hair that went right down over my back to having none at all overnight."

Lisa, who used to be a police officer in Medway and is now a probation training officer at Kent Police Headquarters in Maidstone, had to shave off her head of red hair because she knew the chemotherapy would make it drop out.

"People did stare, even when I was wearing a baseball cap," she said. "You can spot people a mile off when they have cancer because you look different."

She started chemotherapy in March 2001 and had her masectomy in April. But the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes and she had to have prolonged treatment which made her look and feel very ill.

She said: "I took all the mirrors down in my house and refused to have any photos taken. But someone showed me a picture taken when I was ill recently and I look awful. Like a different person."

Lisa began running the Race for Life a series of women-only races to raise money for Cancer Research UK in summer 2000.

Despite having undergone surgery just two months previously, she started the race and ran in 2001.

Organisers heard about her courage and made her the Patron of Hope for the South of England last year.

Lisa still has to have quarterly check-ups at Maidstone Hospital and, although in remission, she will not receive the all-clear for another three years.

She said: "I never lost hope. I think people thought I was going to die, but I'm still here and that's a lesson for others. People say they couldn't cope with it but when you have it, it's different. Cancer is an ugly word because you think of old people and death and that's not what it's about."

Lisa is now heavily involved in a website to help other sufferers - www.youngangelsgroup.co.uk - and is trekking to China in September to raise more money for Cancer Research UK.

Around 3,500 women are expected to take part in this year's Maidstone Race for Life, at Mote Park on Sunday May 11 at 11am.