There were days when I thought I'd not make it to 60 but here I am and I feel truly blessed

SKY News presenter Jacquie Beltrao has faced some formidable challenges in her life, from competing as a gymnast in the 1984 Olympics to interviewing sport's greatest stars.

- BY BEN GRIFFITHS

But none have been bigger than the cancer battle she has fought for the past 12 years.

Five years ago, when doctors told her that her breast cancer was stage 4 and had spread to her legs and spine, turning 60 was a milestone Jacquie thought she would never make.

Yet thanks to pioneering drug olaparib often taken by women with ovarian cancer - she has been cancer-free for nearly five years and was able to see in her seventh decade in style.

Jacquie says: "My 60th birthday was a big celebration. In some ways turning 60 can fill you with dread, but there were days I never thought I would make it to this point given the severity of my cancer. But here I am.

"I feel truly blessed. I have always been very positive, but almost exactly five years ago when I was told my cancer had spread it was hard not to start planning a funeral. Instead I was planning a 60th birthday. It's wonderful to be able to say that."

Her former career as an elite gymnast she represented Great Britain at the 1984 Olympics helped shape her mindset during cancer treatment.

Jacquie said: "You have this belief and drive when you compete in elite sport. I'm sure the fact that I know I was in a tiny fraction of people able to compete for their country at an Olympics gave me some belief that maybe I could be in the fraction of people who survive long after a cancer diagnosis. But I can't emphasise enough how lucky I feel."