{"id":516413,"date":"2026-04-06T20:12:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T20:12:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/516413\/"},"modified":"2026-04-06T20:12:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T20:12:10","slug":"shetlander-prepares-to-brave-catwalk-in-front-of-thousands-for-cancer-charity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/516413\/","title":{"rendered":"Shetlander prepares to brave catwalk in front of thousands for cancer charity"},"content":{"rendered":"

A SHETLANDER who discovered she had cancer after a timely intervention by the Viking Genes programme is set to take to the catwalk for charity.<\/p>\n

Christine Glaser, who was diagnosed with cancer around three years ago, will step out in front of thousands of people at Aberdeen\u2019s huge P&J Live venue to raise money for Friends of Anchor next month.<\/p>\n

The charity, which supports cancer patients from Aberdeenshire, Orkney and Shetland, will run Courage on the Catwalk events on 16 and 17 May.<\/p>\n

Glaser found out that she had the BRCA2 gene \u2013 which is linked to higher rates of breast and ovarian cancer in woman \u2013 in 2023 after being contacted by the Viking Genes team.<\/p>\n

She was offered the chance to have surgery on her ovaries, or to have a double mastectomy, as a preventative measure against cancer.<\/p>\n

But instead preliminary tests diagnosed Glaser with breast cancer then and there.<\/p>\n

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\u201cMy mammogram would have been two years later, so it would have been a whole different story by then,\u201d Glaser told Shetland News.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank God they found it when they did, because I didn\u2019t have to have chemotherapy or anything like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The BRCA2 variant has been linked to Whalsay, with Glaser\u2019s grandmother from the island. She said that, between her and her five siblings, five of the six have had the gene.<\/p>\n

Glaser\u2019s sister also died from ovarian cancer, but the gene has thankfully not been passed to her son, she said.<\/p>\n

Inspired by her cancer journey, Glaser said she became interested in taking part in Friends of Anchor\u2019s catwalk campaigns.<\/p>\n

They will hold events over four nights at the P&J Live, with two nights featuring male models and the other two \u2013 called \u201cCourage on the Catwalk\u201d \u2013 focusing on women who have, or have had, cancer.<\/p>\n

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The models range in ages from 23 to 75, and come from across the north of Scotland and, of course, Shetland.<\/p>\n

Glaser said she had heard about the event before, and having spoken to a fellow Shetlander who participated decided to give it a go.<\/p>\n

\u201cMandy Tait did it two years ago, and so I spoke to her at a wedding and said I was thinking about it.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe said, \u201cdo it \u2013 it\u2019s absolutely brilliant and it\u2019s for a great cause\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Glaser was one of 66 women who applied for the 30 slots, eventually being selected as the sole Shetlander in the ranks.<\/p>\n

The models were asked to attend eight rehearsals before the big event.<\/p>\n

And though Glaser was initially told just to try get to half of them, she said NorthLink had sponsored her to help with the cost of her ferries \u2013 allowing her to attend every practice session.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery time I go to a rehearsal it gets easier,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNext week we go down and have a rehearsal with the men. They\u2019re going to be our audience and we\u2019ll be theirs, so there will be about 100 people there.\u201d<\/p>\n

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That is just a warm-up for the main event, when over 1,000 people will be in the crowd for both nights of Courage on the Catwalk.<\/p>\n

Glaser said the organisers had showed them the venue they would be performing, calling it \u201creally massive\u201d.<\/p>\n

She will be roared on by family and friends, with her husband Dieter, a family friend and her boyfriend travelling down from Shetland for the shows.<\/p>\n

They will also be joined by her son coming up from Glasgow, and friends from Aberdeen, with a table of 10 cheering her on during night one and another eight in attendance the next night.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt maybe makes it a bit more nerve-wracking,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Glaser added that she hopes to arrange a fundraiser for Viking Genes in Shetland, possibly next year.<\/p>\n

Viking Genes is aiming to raise \u00a31 million for a groundbreaking genetic screening programme for Shetland.<\/p>\n

The project, which would be the first community genetic screening scheme in Scotland, aims to provide 5,000 Shetlanders with the opportunity to take part.<\/p>\n

You can donate to Glaser\u2019s JustGiving page for Friends of Anchor here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Shetland News is asking its readers to consider paying for membership to get additional perks:<\/p>\n

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If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.<\/p>\n

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