For most, the new ski season in October brings immense excitement. But for Allegra Martin, a 13 year old Snowsport England squad member who was crowned the 2017 GS U14 champion at the Welsh Championships, the emotions were mixed.??Last year’s early, strong promise was suddenly brought to a screaming halt when Allegra was suddenly diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma—cancer of the lymph glands. .?At the beginning of February 2017, on her return from ski training in Switzerland, Allegra had appeared to have a simple chest infection. But her NHS GP was unsure and ran blood tests. Then the blow fell. Her distraught mother had to tell Allegra it was the C word.
Rushed to Addenbrook’s hospital later that evening with Allegra’s family in turmoil, specialists there spent the following two days running tests on her to confirm the staging. Despite a promising but still uncertain prognosis for the outcome, chemotherapy started 5 days later, with Allegra struggling for breath and her lung capacity compromised.
But this wasn’t the first time because she later confessed to holding her breath in ski races, thinking she was simply unfit. And then there were some other minor health issues as well; early symptoms which were in fact masked by her high fitness level.
A concoction of special drugs, nicknamed “heavy hitters” formed the basis of her first two months of brutal chemotherapy, a physical and mental nightmare. These initiated the process of killing the rogue cells but which simultaneously zapped the hair follicles and a devastated Allegra lost all her golden hair within 3 weeks.
On the surface, Allegra took all this stoically and in between tough chemotherapy sessions, she managed to attend school, eventually missing only a few weeks. But thanks to social media and her iPad she kept in constant touch with friends and teachers.
When all her hair had finally fallen out, she calmly put on a wig with weaved golden hair, funded by the remarkable ‘Little Princess Charity’, and returned to school, looking different but happy. Her sympathetic and lovely friends met her on arrival, all wearing an identical bobble hat as her!
In April, three months later, Addenbrook’s re- scanned Allegra and declared that the drugs were on track to beat the cancer, news that finally gave her and her family a reason to relax slightly. Even better, the specialist was confident enough to say that a radiotherapy course, and all that entailed, was probably not required. ??However, the next four months were tougher than expected as the chemo side effects really got going. Allegra was getting weaker and weaker, experiencing a lot of stomach pains and vomiting. Fortunately her great determination did not desert her and she managed not only to complete 6 school exams at the beginning of June but even came in the top 10 placings.??In the breaks from chemo, when she wasn’t feeling awful, she went on bike rides, partly as a respite but also to maintain strength. At last, light at the end of the tunnel appeared and hope emerged.
Finally, in mid-July, the ghastly, debilitating chemotherapy finished. Even so, not surprisingly, her appearance had changed, and she looked very different, with a chubby face and looking a bit over weight, carrying an extra stone. This had been caused by the powerful effect of the steroids she had been pumped with.??However, by the end of July, with it all over, Allegra set sail in her Optimist to compete in Mersea Island’s Cadet Week where, still in her golden wig, she managed well and won the ‘endeavour trophy’ for her commendable spirit and effort.
Looking forward to her return to skiing and school in September, Allegra embarked on a fitness programme throughout August, planning to loose weight and a return to physical normality. The pounds just tumbled off and the air started to breeze through her lungs again. At last, it was Good Bye Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and Hello Skiing.
With the skiing season opening up again, Allegra rejoined Ambition Racing Club at Leogang in mid-October but an early fall and a sprained ligament on the second day put an end to her hopes of an early skiing return.
Back to England she came, and to the Physio she went. A month later, feeling better, she left once more for the slopes and started to enjoy skiing again. However, her confidence, with all the medical brickbats thrown at her, had taken its toll, and her speed and skill were below par. Could she carry on, her parents wondered??? If they doubted, Allegra didn’t. She kept on trying and gradually the racing prowess and skill slowly returned, encouraged by Ella Still and Marc Telling her Ambition coaches. ??At the beginning of January 2018, she completed the Ambition Championships in Austria where her performance got stronger and more impressive by the day to finish with a podium 2nd place in GS.
Allegra is back!
If you would like to support Allegra please do get in touch via her mother Sachamartin@ymail.com
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