A young girl who took part in this year’s Wimbledon coin toss is now an aspiring Paralympian after being diagnosed with bone cancer aged 7.
Lucy Foyster-Edwards dreams of competing for Team GB after discovering her love for wheelchair tennis with the help of national champion Alfie Hewitt.
This year, alongside meeting professional players Alfie and Gordon Reid, Lucy was also selected to perform the pre-match coin toss at the Wimbledon Singles Finals, which further fuelled her ambition to play centre stage.
As she prepares to start high school in September 2024, Lucy has already made significant strides in wheelchair tennis. She is currently ranked 25th in the girls' Under 18 International ranking and plays regularly, both one-on-one and as part of a squad, where she enjoys the inclusive environment.
Reflecting on her new-found passion, Lucy shared:
In May this year, I went to the National Tennis Centre to meet Alfie Hewitt and Gordon Reid. I'm so lucky to get tips from world-class players, they're so kind and helpful to me.
Lucy's mum Helga, a nurse and cancer survivor, added:
I never imagined that my family would have to face this again. But if there's one thing I learned through my own journey, it's that finding glimmers of hope is so important. Lucy is such a talented young player, and her courage and positivity inspires us all.
Lucy Foyster-Edwards was just 7 years old when she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in February 2021.
She began to experience severe pain in her thigh at school, which could not be relieved by painkillers. Alongside this, Lucy's thigh swelled up and was hard to touch.
Lucy's mum and dad took her to their GP, who referred her for an emergency paediatric assessment at their local hospital.
Further tests, including a bone biopsy at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore, confirmed that Lucy had an osteosarcoma tumour growing in her leg.
Her treatment involved chemotherapy followed by limb-salvage surgery, from which she received a prosthetic with the largest predicted growth capacity the hospital had ever implanted.
Now aged 11, Lucy receives follow-up scans every 4 months and regular physiotherapy to improve her strength and mobility.
You can learn more about Lucy's story by visiting the link below: