Curvy Kate has partnered with Breast Cancer Charity ‘walk the walk’ as the official bra supplier.
Each walker will receive a Curvy Kate bra to wear for the full or half marathon and to decorate as they wish! The decorated bra is the iconic centre piece of walk the walk, allowing participants to get creative and walk with pride through the streets of London through the night!
Curvy Kate is supplying just over 7,000 A-G cup bras for the London walk the walk which will take place on Saturday 20th May. Walk the walk celebrates 25 years in 2023 and walkers are encouraged to really have fun with their bra designs and to take inspiration from the many years of past walking themes from: Disco and Wild West to Rock and Roll, circus and many more! Curvy Kate is asking their social media following of over 1 million to help design their team bras with one of the design to be chosen and worn by MD, Rachel Jenkins!
Nina Barough CBE, Founder and Chief Executive of breast cancer charity Walk the Walk describes how walking (and bras!) changed her life and led to the creation of the iconic MoonWalk:-
“I’m very excited that Walk the Walk will be celebrating the 25 years of MoonWalk London on Saturday 20th May. Why not join us at Clapham Common as a Walker or Volunteer for a night packed full of fun?Looking back, it never ceases to amaze me just how far the charity I founded by accident, has come over the last few decades – and to think it all started with a dream!"
One night back in 1996, without ever having met or come across anyone with breast cancer, and certainly never having wanted to do a marathon. I managed to dream that I was power walking the New York City Marathon, with a group of other women, raising money for breast cancer – and most importantly we were all just wearing bras… which at that time, to be out in public wearing just in a bra was extremely controversial!
Just months later, my dream became reality. I and 12 other wonderful women walked the New York City Marathon – we were thrilled to raise £25,000, which we donated to the charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer.
Out of the blue, it was only weeks after the marathon that I was diagnosed with breast cancer myself. This was a life changing moment for me as I suddenly became one of the people I had been raising money for. Through my journey of recovery, I began focusing on how I could help myself to heal and recover. One of the most important parts of that process was that I started walking every day. By April 1997, many of my friends were keen to support me, and what better way than to now take on power walking The London Marathon, not to mention raising another £25,000!
It was the following year, having completed my breast cancer treatment, that I entered another team for the London Marathon, but only managing to secure places for half of my team, I came up with a solution. I created a ‘one-off’ night-time walking marathon. The first team started at midnight on the eve of the official London Marathon, handing over in the early hours of the morning, to the team taking part in the official marathon. The MoonWalk London was born. This was to be the first of its kind mass participation fundraising challenge for walkers, Walk the Walk officially became a charity, and the rest as they say, is history!
For 25 years Walk the Walk’s trademark has been the decorated bra. It continues to be a powerful symbol that has enabled people to talk openly about breast cancer, it has raised awareness, it has encouraged people to become more active and it has helped us to raise an incredible £137 million. Much of this funding has been granted to research into breast cancer, the future health of us all.
Funds have also been invested into supporting the emotional and physical well-being for those living with cancer
Walk the Walk is dedicated to encouraging women, men and children to realise their own potential for good health and wellbeing by walking. We have always known that there were enormous benefits to be gained from regular walking, so, it is incredibly exciting that there is now growing scientific evidence that potentially up to one in four breast cancers could be prevented in the first place, through being more active and by making different lifestyle choices.
The MoonWalk London has become an iconic night in our Capital and clearly not a one-off! I still get an exciting tingle as I see thousands of women and men - Men Get Breast Cancer Too! set off from the start line, still of course wearing their decorated bras, ready to take on their half or full marathon challenges. People uniting together in a common cause is just an unbelievable sight I would recommend anyone to be a part off.
What about my next “dream”? Well, my ultimate long term aim is to focus on how we can help people to not get cancer at all. But in the meantime, the fact is that #AnyoneCanGetBreastCancer and we all need to keep on MoonWalking so come and join me!”
8 common signs to check for – women and men
Any unusual change in the shape or size of one of your breasts
If one breast has changed and become lower than the other.
Changes in skin colour or a rash around the nipple.
A nipple that has become pulled in or changed its position or shape (retraction of the nipples is normal in some women).
Puckering or dimpling of the skin.
A lump or thickening within the breast or armpit.
Discharge from one nipple or both.
Constant pain in one part of the breast.
The earlier breast cancer is detected, the greater the chance of successful treatment and cure. Remember 9 out of 10 breast lumps are not cancerous.
You can find the best way to check your breasts and understand what to look out for here: Breast cancer symptoms | Breast Cancer Now
