Fighting through the pain: Cancer doesn't slow down St. John's athlete

In February, 2014 Amanda Hancock got the news no one wants to hear: she had breast cancer.

The triathlete and rower battled the disease like she would another other race, facing it head-on.

"Going through chemo and radiation I managed to keep swimming and biking and running and every time I did I just felt great," she said.

Taking it day by day, Hancock, 33, kept training.

"I competed in the Paradise Triathlon two Augusts [2014] ago and the next day I had my last round of chemo," she said. "My whole time in treatment I just kept going."

Hancock didn't let her diagnosis slow her down; she won her age group in 2014 and was the top female in competition at the 2015 event.

"The advice I got from the doctor was do what's good for you, and what was good for me was trying to keep to my regular thing, which was doing a little bit of exercise everyday," she said.

Always coming back to sports

Part of her exercise regime involved rowing. At the Royal St. John's Regatta, she was a part of the M5 crew that took home the rowing crown, with Hancock winning Oarswoman of the Year. 

In July, she completed the 16-kilometre Tely 10 run in 88 minutes. Hancock also took part in the Tickle Swim for Mental Health in August, swimming the five-kilometre stretch from Portugal Cove to Bell Island.

Try and keep active if you can and do what's within your own limits.- Amanda Hancock

And this past Sunday, she took on the Paradise Triathlon; completing the 1,500-metre swim, 44-kilometre bike ride and 10-kilometre run in just over three hours — good enough for second overall in the women's Olympic distance.

"I've come through some challenges in recent years and sports is always a thing that I can just go back to," she told CBC after the race.

"It's just such a good sense of community. It's not just the physical activity, but it's having everyone around and the support that comes on events like this. I just love it."

'Keep active if you can'

Hancock finished treatment two years ago and there's been no sign of cancer since. 

Her next challenge won't be on the road or in the water, but in the classroom. She's heading to back to school for a four-year PhD program through the school of business.

To keep up her training while becoming a full-time university student, Hancock has applied for a Dairy Farmers of Canada grant of $5,000.

She plans to continue competing in athletics through university.

Hancock said she battled through her own cancer in her own way, but knows everyone is different.

"Not everyone is going to want to go out and do the Paradise Triathlon when they are going through chemo and radiation and stuff, but its what worked for me," she said.

"I'd say to anyone going through a major health challenge to try and keep active if you can and do what's within your own limits."