SAMMY WINS HER BIGGEST BATTLE OF GOLF CAREER

               SAMMY LESLIE WITH THE ABERDEENSHIRE WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP
                                                       TROPHY IN 2010 

FROM THE ABERDEEN PRESS AND JOURNAL
By ASHLEIGH BARBOUR
One of the North-east of Scotland's top young golfing champions last night revealed she has won her battle with cancer.
Sammy (she prefers that to "Samantha") was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, a form of the disease which attacks the immune system, in March last year.
The 21-year-old, who was crowned Aberdeenshire women's county champion in 2010 at the age of 18 - told the Press and Journal she was determined not to let the illness stop her from playing the game she loves.
Following eight sessions of chemotherapy with radiotherapy at the end, she was given the all-clear by doctors two weeks ago.
The former Westhill Academy pupil returned to the green on Wednesday to play in her first competition since her treatment.
"At my last scan the doctors couldn't find any sign of cancerous activity. I am absolutely delighted," she said.
"I'll have to have scans every three months so they can keep an eye on me, but everything should be OK."
Despite her positive outlook - Miss Leslie even embarked on a nursing course at Robert Gordon University last September - she admitted the last year had been "tough."
"When I was diagnosed I didn't really think much about it. I just knew I had to battle on. But when I was given the all-clear, I was very emotional," she said.
"My throat burned from the radiotherapy and it was hard to swallow. I was just so tired all the time.
"The last year has impacted my playing golf as well. At the standard I was competing at, you have to be practising all the time.
"I was struggling to get round 18 holes, but I still tried to go to the driving range. I'm looking forward to the new season."
Miss Leslie, from Kingswells, on the western suburbs of Aberdeen, said the support she had received from her family, friends and people within the golfing world had kept her going.
They even helped her raise £1,500 at her 21st birthday party last October for a North-east cancer charity, "Clan."
Miss Leslie said he was overwhelmed to discover that her positivity inspired others.
"I was having treatment one day when a lady there said she'd like to thank me," said Sammy.
"She explained that when she was diagnosed with the same condition as me, she thought her life was over. But her mum sent her the article which was published when I first spoke out about my own battle.
"She thought: 'Well, if Sammy can do it, then so can I.' She's been given the all-clear now too. It's nice to be able to show people there is a light at the end of the tunnel."