NIKKI BRADLEY HAS a rather extensive bucket list and this week she has scaled a glacier in Iceland for her awareness campaign Fighting Fit For Ewing’s.
Nikki, who lives in Letterkenny, survived cancer in the form of Ewing’s Sarcoma but has had to live using crutches as a result of the damage the intensive treatment had on her hip.
But with a refreshingly positive attitude, the 30-year-old hasn’t taken anything lying down and in the last year has abseiled Fanad Lighthouse and climbed Mount Errigal.
All photos and video by Paul Doherty photography
Last week, joined by photographer Paul Doherty, Denis Ferry and Les O’Donnell from Donegal Ice Road Trekkers and her partner Ian Parke – who is an industrial climber – the group scaled the route of the Solheimajokull glacier in Iceland.
“I left for Iceland with one goal in mind,” Nikki says. “To push myself further than I have ever pushed myself before. With huge thanks to my amazing team, I reached that goal.
“Our trip involved scaling the glacier, travelling the length of Iceland, climbing a set of ice steps up to a waterfall with nothing to hold on to at the top – terrifying on crutches -abseiling off a sheet of ice, abseiling into a 45 foot ice cave, rescuing five young people from New Zealand who got stuck in the ice/snow and to top it off yesterday we trekked up and down a mountain which was 3.5k each way.
“I had to ensure my crutches were ready to go, my footwear was important as I have bad circulation in my right leg and coldness causes a loss of sensation. I worried I wouldn’t be able to move my leg the right way when I needed to and I felt scared a lot while I was there. But … I would do it again in a heartbeat because the feeling of pride I have today and the memories I gathered over the past four days will remain with me for life.”
Nikki’s team were similarly enthusiastic and were delighted to have been able to play a part:
“We just wanted to congratulate Nikki Bradley such a successful journey and that we feel privileged to have been asked to help. Nikki has come through an incredible amount in life and after watching her climb, abseil and hike over a glacier in crutches with such enthusiasm is an inspiration to us and we would welcome her and Ian on to our team any day.”
From Leslie, Denis and Paul, via Donegal Ice Road Trekkers’ Facebook
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