TransLantau by UTMB: ‘tough as nails’ Emily Woodland targets 100km after brutal cancer treatment
- Emily Woodland has battled colon cancer for the last year, and is now determined to finish the 100km TransLantau by UTMB this November
- Woodland hopes her story will encourage other women to include colon cancer checks in their medical routine
Emily Woodland prides herself on her toughness in trail and ultra running and has needed every ounce of her grit in the last four years. After a litany of crisis, culminating in bowel cancer, she is already gearing up for the 100km TransLantau by UTMB in November.
“My last really good race was the Hong Kong 100 in 2018 [she finished 11th]. After that, things started falling apart a little bit,” Hong Kong-based Briton Woodland said.
Firstly, she had a mysterious illness that was continuously misdiagnosed. It later turned out to be a hormonal issue. As she began to feel better, she ran the Ultra Trail Australia in 2019. It was an hour slower than Woodland’s previous time, but it was good to be out there.
After that, Woodland had a stubborn foot injury that took a year to heal. While still on crutches, she broke her thumb and needed an operation. She then got a job in Australia and just when she thought she was moving, it fell through and then her relationship ended too.
Woodland then caught Covid-19 early in the pandemic when it was the world was getting to grips with how serious the virus was.
Woodland then got a new job in Hong Kong. Things were looking up. She went home for Christmas, but the Hong Kong government banned flights from the UK, so her 10 day trip turned into three months.
