I vowed to be outside every day come rain or shine

TV STAR Julia Bradbury says since she was diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago she spends time outdoors every day.

- Jane Oddy

The nature enthusiast, 53, also says that savouring every moment of family life has also helped her get through tough times.

She says: “My diagnosis changed me, but it hasn’t defined me. I’d rather work on focusing on the things I do have, not the things I don’t have, and enjoy every day.”

In 2022 Julia shared the highs and lows of her cancer treatment in a frank documentary that followed her journey.

She says: “I tried to show you don’t have to be brave and not every day is a great day.

“When I was on the receiving end of those words – ‘You’ve got cancer’ – I felt frightened. The first thing I thought was, ‘I don’t want to die, I want to see my children grow up’. Like many people, I instantly thought of the worst outcome.

“I had discovered a lump in early 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic, but it was dismissed as benign microcysts. More than a year later the lump was still there and by now painful to touch. 

“In September 2021, after further screenings, I was given the diagnosis of breast cancer. A month later I was in the operating theatre having a left breast mastectomy with reconstruction. There is now no sign of the disease and I’m feeling good.”

Julia says she has reset her lifestyle: “I was living life at a breakneck speed. I wanted it all and pushed myself emotionally and physically to achieve impossible goals.

“My illness really brought me into the present and has made me understand and appreciate that every single day is important and full of gifts and simple pleasures.