An Alton woman has gone to the edge to show cancer who’s boss in a fundraising cycle ride with a hospital team.

A 300-mile ride around Hampshire’s borders organised by Nicola and Jeremy Packer has raised more than £16,000 for oesophageal cancer research.

They were accompanied on the two-day event by the University of Southampton professor who is behind the world-leading research.

Professor Tim Underwood operated on Nicola as her own oesophagus was removed during a gruelling spell of treatment which included radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Nicola was motivated to organise the challenge as she successfully fought oesophageal cancer after being diagnosed in 2021 at the age of 53.

She said: “At the end of my treatment, I said I would do anything in my power to help other people not go through the mill like I did.

“I was so moved, looking at the work they do and the passion behind the team,” said Nicola after visiting the professor’s research labs at University Hospital Southampton.

“They are on the cusp of some really important innovations that will be translated across cancer.”

Nicola was part of a “B” team which cycled on spin bikes at Everyone Active Alton while Jeremy also joined the session and the second 150-mile leg of the county challenge.

The funding will go towards ongoing research that is “cracking the code” of why oesophageal cancer has a high recurrence rate, as Professor Underwood and his team have discovered a rare and hidden cell in post-treatment patients.