A special educational needs and disabilities (Send) PE teacher who thought she “might die” after being diagnosed with a “satsuma-sized” brain tumour which has left her blind in one eye has since won a bronze triathlon medal in Poland, competing for Great Britain, and been nominated for a prestigious Pearson National Teaching Award. Rachel Bown, 52 said her life has “never been the same” since being told she had a large, non-cancerous brain tumour in 2014 – but she chooses to “live for today” and enjoy every moment, as “tomorrow is never promised”.
She underwent two craniotomies in 2014 and 2015, the surgical removal of part of the bone from the skull, to remove as much of the tumour as possible, along with 30 sessions of radiotherapy in 2017, which left her fatigued, nauseous, and with “ulcerated” sinuses. As a result of her surgeries, Rachel said she “looks very different” now; she is blind in her right eye, has to “manoeuvre (herself) differently” due to her reduced vision, she struggles with her balance, and has “no feeling” on the right side of her face as a result of nerve damage. However, despite these life-changing impacts, Rachel has gone on to do “amazing things” since her diagnosis – running the London Marathon in 2016 dressed as Mr Hippo, raising thousands of pounds for charity, and competing internationally in triathlon events for Great Britain.
Moreover, through her work as a PE teacher, supporting children with disabilities through physical activity, she has been nominated for a Further Education Lecturer of the Year award, demonstrating to her students what is possible in the face of adversity. “My life has never been the same since that Wednesday afternoon, but I have to say, I have never wondered why, and I’ve never thought my life is worse,” she said.
“My life is different, and every day I think about having a brain tumour, it affects my everyday life, but that doesn’t mean it affects it negatively.” She added: “I believe I was put on this planet to help people see that they should make the most of their life and what they’ve got, and to remember that day always follows night.”
Rachel, who lives in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, had wanted to become a PE teacher ever since she was 11 years old. She went on to complete a degree in Sports Science, followed by a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) – and while studying, she ran clubs for children and adults with disabilities.
She taught at several schools over the following years in various roles, alongside playing football at county level, and she then qualified as a Great Britain Age-Group Team triathlete in her 40th year, completing her first competitive race in Budapest in 2010. She won the title of European silver medallist in 2012, the same year she carried the Olympic torch for the London Olympics, and the title of European gold medallist in 2013.
However, later in 2013, aged 43, she started to notice her “eye was flickering”. She said “everything was pixelating” and she started to experience severe headaches, but after seeing her GP and getting her eyes tested, she was told there was “nothing wrong”.
“I had this blinding headache over this side of my head, and I felt like I just couldn’t even open my eyes, and I felt tingling down my face,” she said. “The same thing happened on a Sunday evening of the May bank holiday, and I thought, ‘What’s happening to my face? What’s happening to my eyes?’
“I thought I’d had a stroke because it felt like my face had dropped.” Rachel then noticed bruising around her right eye, but it was not until months later, after further testing and hospital visits, that she received the news that made her “world spin” in 2014.
She was informed she had a brain tumour the size of a “satsuma” – and before going into surgery, she said she thought she “might die”. “The doctor said, ‘You haven’t got cancer, that’s very important, but you’re seriously ill and you have a very big brain tumour’,” she explained.
“In that moment, the world spins and everything changes.” Rachel had her first craniotomy at Southmead Hospital in Bristol in 2014, where they removed the majority of the tumour, but it was later discovered she had two more.
She was then rushed into the intensive care unit after developing an infection in her brain. She had her second craniotomy in 2015 – and just months later, in April 2016, she ran the London Marathon as Mr Hippo for the charity Brain Tumour Support and achieved a Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon by a mascot (female) with a time of 3 hours 58 minutes and 57 seconds.
Rachel said her tumours started growing back in 2017, and she then underwent 30 sessions of radiotherapy at Bristol Royal Infirmary, which made her “really poorly”. After this, Rachel decided to change jobs and work part-time to spend more time with friends and family, as she said “you never know when the last time is”.
“It’s that thing of always remembering that the bad times do end, but the good times do, too,” she said. “So, you’ve really got to hold onto the good times and enjoy them while they’re happening.”
Rachel said she has been “stable” since 2018, and now she has brain scans every two years for the two tumours which remain. She has competed in many competitions as a triathlete for Great Britain, usually placing in the top 10, however, after her surgeries it was her “ultimate dream” to win another international medal.
She managed to achieve this in Poland last year, securing bronze, despite her reduced vision and balance issues – and she said she “burst into tears” when she crossed the finish line. She added: “I was so overwhelmed with the fact that I’d achieved my dream and the progress I’d made from my first recovery race to the race in Poland.”
Rachel, who works at Fairfield Farm College in Wiltshire – a specialist college for young people with additional needs – then found out in January this year that she had been nominated for a Further Education Lecturer of the Year award, and she said she was “blown away”. The silver winners for this award will be announced on National Thank a Teacher Day on June 21, and then these winners will be shortlisted to win one of just 16 Gold Awards.
Throughout her life so far, Rachel has carried the Olympic torch at the London 2012 Summer Olympics, competed for Great Britain as a triathlete, written books, and overcome countless challenges following her brain tumour diagnosis and treatments – but she said teaching is her vocation. She said the nomination “feels like a lifetime achievement award” – and while she was already motivated to help children with special needs, now, having a “hidden disability” herself, she is even more inspired to continue changing the lives of young people through physical activity.
She also works with the charity Youth Sport Trust as the lead for PE inclusion in Swindon and Wiltshire, which is supported by Fairfield Farm College, to ensure that all young people, whatever their ability, are involved in physical activity and meaningful, appropriate competition. “I always say, when you have faith, there’s hope,” she said.
“I’ve had a wonderful career, and there isn’t any step that I wish I’d done differently… because it’s got me to be in this place where I just love it.”
