Emily Scoones story embodies the “I Can Bee” Initiative, and she is one of our “I Can Bee”.
In October 2023, I ran my last half marathon (the Oxford Half). Two weeks later, the night before going to the Midlands Fives tournament, I was in the hospital with breathing difficulties. I had bilateral pulmonary embolisms (blood clots in both lungs) and significant right lung damage. It was humbling to go from a fully active life to being unable to speak a full sentence or walk a few metres without breathlessness, unable to lie down for weeks, and having to rebuild my sporting capacity for months.
As someone who knew next to nothing about this, who never thought it was something that would happen to me, and should have gone to the hospital much earlier when the symptoms started to present, I am running to raise awareness of this and raise some money for the charity.
Moving Forward
From this experience:
- I have a greater appreciation for my body and that it was healthy and fit enough to deal with the stress it was facing – I was lucky. It has solidified the importance to me of movement and an active lifestyle.
- I learned to listen to my body more and not brush off symptoms to be “” I waited for myself to be in a lot of pain before asking for help, and I was expecting to be back at work the next week. Recovery took months as the clots dissolved, and I had to respect the pain, exhaustion, and frustration that came on that journey.
- I read stories of those who have been turned away with these symptoms (like Serena Williams), and so as well as raising awareness of the signs, I want to promote advocacy for yourself if you feel something is wrong.
Since my diagnosis, with a drive for health and the support of many, I have got back to doing the things I love. I am back playing my favourite sport, Eton Fives, and have made two Ladies’ National Finals and won the Mixed Nationals in April 2025. I also get to live a full life with my work and social activities and hope to keep pushing myself to whatever challenges I wish to take on next.
Emily is running the Richmond Runfest marathon in September this year, almost two years from the diagnosis of her first PE. This is an incredible achievement, and we hope you all join us in cheering Emily on and encouraging her on her journey
