The mum-of-one was diagnosed with cancer in her kidney at the age of just 22 in September 2001 after five years of feeling unwell.

Claire said while finding out she had cancer was a huge shock, particularly due to her tender years and the fact she was a non-smoker, she was somewhat relieved to have the cause of her mystery illness revealed.
"It was a big shock but in some ways I was relieved to have an answer," she said.

"I wasn't well for a long time and throughout university with fatigue and pains. I couldn't do things normal 22-year-olds can do.
"I was very, very lucky. If I had left it another six weeks it could have been a different story."

Claire paid tribute to her friends and family for all the support they gave her when it was confirmed she was suffering from a disease which is more commonly found in men in their 50s.
"I think it was more a shock for my family because they can't help you through it," she said.

"They are sort of powerless. I think you can handle it better because its happening to you.
"Thankfully I came out the other end of it."

Claire married fiance Steven - a reporter with our sister paper the Coleraine Times - in 2002 and gave birth to son Tom, now three, in March 2005.
She started her current job at Ballymoney Borough Council in January 2006.

Brave Claire's troubles hadn't come to an end though and she developed endometriosis and required a hysterectomy at the end of last year.
But thankfully her health problems finally seem to be behind her and she is rigorously preparing for the charity fun on Sunday 7 September, having already completed two Race for Life challenges in the past 12 months.

Claire said her experience of battling cancer enabled her to educate others on the disease and hopefully inspire fellow sufferers to fight it.

"The support has been great and I've been stopped in the street by people who know about it," she said.
"People have been very kind.

"It is good to raise money but it is also important to raise awareness that cancer can affect you at any age and that it doesn't mean death.
"Hearing other peoples' stories can give inspiration and hope."
Claire will be competing alongside sister-in-law Gail, father-in-law Fred and over 600 other runners in Ireland's first 10k run for Cancer Research.

The organisers hope to raise £35,000 for the charity which is the world's leading independent organisation dedicated to cancer research.
To run the Stormont 10K Run or for more details on the event log onto www.run10k.org/local