Nikki Bradley climbs the Sturral on May 15. Iain Miller
Nikki Bradley, a Donegal woman who was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer at the age of 16 and later told that she would be on crutches for the rest of her life, has climbed to the summit of one of the tallest sea cliffs in Ireland.
On May 15, Bradley climbed Donegal's Sturral, Ireland's longest rock climb that has only been completed by a handful of people. It is located approximately 300 meters above sea level and involves a 6km round trip.
"The Sturrall Headland is one of the most outstanding sea cliff features in Ireland it is a true monster of a headland sitting isolated and far from the real world," Iain Miller of Unique Ascent, who guided Bradley up the Sturral, said.
"It sits equidistant between Glencolmcille Village to the South and the An Port road end to the North. The ridge is approx 800m long and 180m at the highest point."
After her impressive climb, Bradley wrote on social media: "Iain from Unique Ascent had a tough job on his hands getting me to the top as it was not easy but thankfully he is a very patient guide!
"There were a lot of things to think about to keep us safe but he had it planned to perfection.
"Easily one of my biggest highlights of the past year!"
In 2002, 16-year-old Bradley was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma and underwent an intensive course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which did lasting damage to her right hip.
"The radiotherapy was disruptive. It caused all of the lasting damage. It destroyed the bone in my right hip and I am still dealing with the aftermath 20 years on," she told the Irish Cancer Society in 2021.
Bradley underwent her first hip replacement in 2007 before undergoing a second surgery in 2013. She underwent a rotationplasty surgery in February 2022, with doctors removing her thigh and reattaching her knee, shin, and foot to where her hip used to be. Her right foot is now turned 180 degrees.
Bradley climbed the daunting sea cliff as part of her Fighting Fit for Ewing's awareness campaign, which she launched in 2013 after receiving news that she would be on crutches for the rest of her life and decided to "take her life back."
"The campaign is centered around fitness and physical challenges," Bradley wrote on the Motivation Factory.
"The purpose of participating in challenges is to highlight the importance of exercise for rehabilitation and I am living proof that it actually works!"
She added that she took a number of painkillers before starting the campaign but said vigorous exercise has allowed her to live without painkillers.
"On the tough days when pain reared its ugly head, I would hit the gym and work through it. My pain threshold skyrocketed and I was becoming unstoppable."
You can watch footage of Nikki Bradley climbing the Sturrall in Co Donegal here: