Staff Reporter. SUPPLIED

To promote awareness for breast cancer, a group of 25 ladies clad mostly in pink rode more than 85 kilometers around Al Qudra's cycling track. The initiative was a personal mission for some Velo Vixen cycling group members, while others saw it as an opportunity to spread the word to the larger community. Philippa Glover, a breast cancer survivor, was one of the riders on the trip. "I wanted to spread the word so that more women get themselves checked," she said. A year after being turned away for a mammogram because she was too young, Philippa developed a lump on her breast at 33. "I ignored it for almost six months, thinking it was nothing," she said. "But when I finally got it checked and realized it was cancer, I was shocked. I was lucky it had not spread to my lymph nodes, and I immediately underwent chemotherapy." Philippa says she has adjusted her life tremendously since her diagnosis ten years ago. "I am open to more experiences, and I have done a lot of adventure sports like sky diving and wakeboarding," she said. Philippa also shared that she improved her eating habits by making more home-cooked meals. Emma Woodstock, a Dubai resident, created the Velo Vixen cycling group in 2010 after observing how much the activity was helping her lose weight and preserve her health. BKM/ Expat Media
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