Cornwall paddleboarder triumphs after cancer diagnosis
Ginnie Betts, a 52-year-old paddleboarder from Cornwall, won two gold medals and a silver at the 2026 Stand Up Paddling World Championships. She achieved this success while recovering from an aggressive form of breast cancer.
Why it matters
The story serves as an inspirational narrative regarding athletic resilience and the role of goal-setting in cancer recovery.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Cameron Weldon and Andy Birkett , South West BBC Ginnie Betts won two gold medals and a silver at the 2026 Stand Up Paddling World Championships in Italy A newly crowned world champion paddleboarder who is recovering from breast cancer has said she hopes to inspire others.
Ginnie Betts, 52, from Ludgvan, Cornwall, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer in September 2025 and underwent three operations, the most recent in February.
Betts continued to train despite her diagnosis and went on to compete at the Stand Up Paddling World Championships in Italy along with 920 other participants from across the world. She won two gold medals and a silver in masters events.
Betts said she was "completely stoked" with the achievement and viewed the cancer diagnosis as an injury she needed to recover from.
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