Sarcoma Awareness Month: Life Goes On
For Samantha Boswell, sport is not just a hobby, it is a core part of who she is. As a 53-year-old sports masseuse from Bromsgrove and a former Ironman age-group champion, her life has long been defined by movement, fresh air, and pushing her physical limits.
Having qualified for the prestigious Hawaii Ironman in the past, Samantha was comfortably leading her category during the swim and bike legs of Ironman UK in July 2022 when an unexpected, sharp pain in her abdomen forced her to walk.
What followed was a profound shift from elite athletic training to the slow, quiet work of medical recovery. Yet, two years after a life-altering diagnosis, Samantha recently crossed the finish line of a local sprint triathlon, securing first place in the female category.
Rebuilding her stamina has been an exercise in immense patience, requiring her to celebrate the smallest physical milestones along the way.
“In hospital, when I started to walk to the toilet and back, I would time myself,” Samantha recalls. “At home, I started to walk to the end of the road and back. In late January 2023, I remember sitting on a bike for 20 minutes just to spin my legs. From there, I gradually began to build up my fitness.”
I have to pinch myself when I look back at what I have been through. I did not think I would race again.
Samantha Boswell
The bulge Samantha noticed in her belly after that 2022 race led to an urgent GP referral and a shocking diagnosis: retroperitoneal sarcoma, a rare cancer growing within her abdominal cavity.
In September 2022, she underwent radical surgery to remove a massive tumour weighing five kilograms. Due to the size and position of the mass, the operation required the removal of her kidney, adrenal gland, part of her bowel, the psoas fascia, and sections of her abdominal wall and aorta.
Spending two months recovering at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, Samantha faced a completely altered physical reality. It took a full year of slow, deliberate recovery before she was able to walk entirely pain-free.
Throughout her journey of adaptation, Samantha was determined to navigate her physical changes on her own terms. “I wanted to decide for myself if I wanted to stop competing, not my health,” she explains. “My attitude was if I cannot run, I will swim and bike.”
Today, alongside returning to the sport she loves, Samantha has chronicled her experiences in a book, Ironman, Me and The Big C, which combines her personal story with practical training tips for aspiring athletes.
By sharing her path forward, she hopes to offer solidarity and a sense of possibility to others navigating life after diagnosis.
Read next: Robert’s story
How band bassist Robert laced up his running shoes to navigate a twenty-year journey through hidden grief.
Finding space to thinkSupporting you and our community
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About Sarcoma UK
We are the national charity for anyone affected by sarcoma cancer. We fund cutting edge research, campaign for better treatments, and work to enable earlier diagnosis so that everyone in our community can live longer and better lives.
About Sarcoma UK
We are the national charity for anyone affected by sarcoma cancer. We fund cutting edge research, campaign for better treatments, and work to enable earlier diagnosis so that everyone in our community can live longer and better lives.
