WHEN Tülay Kiraz started treatment for cancer, she felt scared, in pain and exhausted – as if she was drowning.
Ironically, the thing that rescued her, was swimming. In the water, she felt calm, free from the pressure of the disease and able to think clearly.
Now well, Tülay, 58, and her daughter Ilayda, 34, are taking part in Swimathon 2026 and urging others to join them and help save more lives.
Tülay said: “When I was in the water, the noise stopped. The fear softened. My body felt lighter, even when my heart was heavy.
“Swimming became my escape, my calm place, the only space where I could breathe freely, think clearly, and feel like myself again — without cancer defining me.”
Tülay, who lives in Canary Wharf, East London, and runs a property management company, is urging people signing up for Swimathon, the world’s largest annual pool-based fundraising swim. It raises money for Cancer Research UK, end-of-life charity Marie Curie and the Swimathon Foundation.
Tulay was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011. She underwent six rounds of chemotherapy and multiple surgeries and six weeks of radiotherapy.
“I lost all my hair. My eyebrows disappeared. I barely recognised myself in the mirror,” she said.
“I was exhausted, scared, and in pain — physically and mentally. There were days when I thought about death constantly. Not because I wanted to give up — but because cancer forces you to live with fear every moment.”
Ilayda, who has taken part in the Asia to Europe swim across the Bosphorus, played a huge role in ‘saving’ her mother.
“Ilayda is a professional swimmer, and during my darkest days, she gently pulled me back into the real world. When I felt I was drowning in pain, swimming became something we shared,” said Tülay.
“It helped me reconnect with life, with strength, and with hope. I beat cancer after two long years, although the journey didn’t end there.
“Cancer followed me for ten more years with medical treatment, check-ups, fear of recurrence, and silent battles that most people never see. Cancer stays with you.
“But today, I’m well and swimming not just for myself, but for everyone in the UK who has heard the words ‘you have cancer’ and feels the same fear, loneliness, and uncertainty I once felt.
“I know how hard it is, and I know how much support, research, and hope truly matter. That’s why I’m fundraising for Cancer Research UK and Marie Curie. Every donation helps fund research that saves lives and helps someone feel less alone.
“Every pound is a message of hope to someone who desperately needs it. If my story touches people, I’d ask them to please consider donating. Together, we can help others keep swimming — even through the hardest waters. And thank you in advance from the bottom of my heart,” she said.
Swimathon, which started in 1986 as an initiative to increase swimming at local authority pools, has become an incredible force for good. To date, more than 750,000 swimmers have taken part across the UK and raised over £55 million for charity.
It offers a variety of individual challenges from 500m up to a supercharged Triple 5k or teams of 2-5 people can take part in a 1.5k, 2.5k or 5k relay.
Anyone who can’t make one of the organised sessions can sign up to MySwimathon, and choose a distance, time and venue to complete their swim between 1 – 31 March
Swimathon takes place from 20-22 March at venues across London. Tülay and Ilayda are swimming at the Glass Mill Leisure Centre in Lewisham, but other venues across London include:
