London (CNN) – — Catherine, Princess of Wales, has finished Britain’s demanding Three Peaks Challenge, taking on the weekend endurance effort in aid of the hospital where she received cancer treatment two years ago.
The challenge requires participants to climb the highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales within 24 hours. Catherine said she completed it to raise support for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, a specialist cancer center based in Chelsea, west London.
“Lots of people have asked me why I’m doing this challenge,” she said in a video message, posted on Sunday. “Partly it’s personal – I’m so grateful to be here, to be strong enough to walk these hills.”
“But, more importantly, it’s to give something back and acknowledge all the incredible work going on up and down this country.”
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Kate, 44, publicly revealed her cancer diagnosis in March 2024, also confirming at the time that she was receiving chemotherapy. The announcement came two months after she underwent major abdominal surgery. Nearly a year later, she said she was in remission.
In the months since, she has gradually resumed her royal responsibilities. She has taken an increasingly active role in highlighting the Royal Marsden’s work and advocating for people affected by cancer. Kensington Palace announced last year that she had become joint patron of the cancer charity with her husband, Prince William.
“I’ve met some incredible people, those people who are living with and beyond cancer,” she said. “And I know personally how difficult that journey is, and I really wanted to use this opportunity as my way of contributing to all the wonderful work that’s going on.”
Kate completed the Three Peaks Challenge solo, covering climbs totaling 3,064 meters (10,052 feet). Afterward, she was welcomed by Prince William, their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, along with her parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, and her brother, James Middleton.
By completing a challenge like this, she hoped to “explore life beyond a diagnosis,” since cancer “changes how you think and feel and profoundly affects every aspect of life,” she said in a statement released by Kensington Palace.
And because of such all-encompassing effects, Kate has championed “holistic care” which supports a patient’s mental, social and spiritual, as well as physical, wellbeing.
Alongside her statement, Kate released a fundraising link for the public to donate to the Royal Marsden.
