“Running topless isn’t about exhibition - it’s about freedom”
Plus: ⛰️ Junko Tabei 🍒 Checking your breasts 👏 Ashley James
For two and a half years, Louise Butcher has run topless, taking her followers along on more than 800 runs through Devon.
It’s not a stunt or a bid for attention, despite what some trolls think. It’s acceptance – a way to reclaim her body after breast cancer without reconstructive surgery, without shame or apology. And yes, it’s also more comfortable not to have fabric rubbing against her scars.
Now known as the Topless Runner, Louise has turned her healing into activism, becoming the first woman to run the London Marathon topless. Read her remarkable story below.
In this issue of Take The Lead, we tell the story of Junko Tabei – the first woman to summit Everest and change who the world thought belonged at the top. Plus, we’re talking about why checking your breasts should be as routine as checking your phone, and how Ashley James is reclaiming the words ‘bossy’ and ‘bimbo’. Language matters, and so does who gets to define it.
Enjoy, share it with your friends, and please let us know what you think.
The Female Lead Team
We’re talking about…
🩺 Menopause matters – The NHS (UK) has added menopause support to midlife health checks for women aged 40 to 79. From spotting symptoms early to providing treatment that was often overlooked, it’s a step that puts women’s health front and centre.
👶 Paternity leave isn’t enough – A campaign by The Dad Shift and Pregnant Then Screwed called for longer, better-paid paternity leave in the UK. Non-birthing partners in the UK get just two weeks off, at less than half minimum wage. Mums, especially those recovering from c-sections, are often left to manage alone.
🇮🇸 Iceland’s women made history – This month, Iceland celebrated 50 years since the “Kvennafrí” strike, when 90% of women stopped work to protest gender inequality. The action paved the way for major change, including the election of the world’s first female president in 1980.
💛 We loved seeing… Dylan Sprouse support his wife Barbara Palvin at the 2025 Victoria’s Secret Show. He wore a yellow ribbon and handed out awareness pins as Barbara walked the runway despite recent endometriosis surgery and a fractured foot. Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women, yet it’s still too often dismissed - this kind of allyship helps keep women’s health in the spotlight.
Inspire me…
“Technique and ability alone do not get you to the top; it is willpower that is most important.” - Junko Tabei
Junko Tabei wasn’t just the first woman to reach the summit of Everest, she changed who the world thought belonged there. Check out the full post here.
“Running topless isn’t about exhibition - it’s about freedom”
By Louise Butcher, cancer survivor, breast cancer advocate and ‘Topless Runner’
People often say to me, “You’re always running, Louise. How do you fit it into your busy life?” And they’re right. I often wonder the same thing myself. I have two kids, two dogs, a husband, a house, and the usual mountain of domestic chaos: cleaning, washing, finances, the endless school run, and that dreaded airing cupboard full of clean-but-never-ironed clothes. It’s all a bit of a jumble, like me, really. A beautiful mess of ADHD energy and motherhood.
The truth is, I don’t just want to run: I need to. Running isn’t a hobby. It’s medicine. Without it, all hell breaks loose in my head.
Read more in the full article here
Toolbox: How to check your breasts - Touch Look Check
From breastcancernow.org
🤔 Why: Anyone can get breast cancer and it’s important to know your normal by checking your breasts regularly. Touch your breasts. Look for changes. Check anything new or unusual with a GP.
🔧 How: Checking your breasts is as easy. Touch your breasts: can you feel anything new or unusual? Look for changes: does anything look different to you? There’s no special way to check your breasts and you do not need any training. Get used to checking regularly and be aware of anything that’s new or different for you. Check your whole breast area, including up to your collarbone (upper chest) and armpits.
A lump or swelling in the breast, upper chest or armpit. On its own, pain in your breasts is not usually a sign of breast cancer. But look out for pain in your breast or armpit that’s there all or almost all the time.
A change to the skin, including puckering or dimpling.
A change in the colour of the breast – the breast may look darker, red or inflamed.
A nipple change, for example it has become pulled in (inverted).
Rash or crusting around the nipple.
Unusual liquid, also called discharge, from either nipple.
Changes in size or shape of the breast.
Check any new or unusual changes with a GP.
For more information head to breastcancernow.org.
Final thought
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