Teen who used her Duke of Edinburgh’s Award as lifeline for herself and others during her own cancer treatment recognised by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace

An inspirational 14-year-old who used her cancer diagnosis as a springboard to support other young patients has been recognised by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and a host of celebrities, after being named Boundary Breaker of the Year at The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award charity’s This is Youth celebration.

Keen singer Rosa Ross, from Edinburgh, was diagnosed with stage four non-Hodgkin lymphoma in January 2024 – four months after starting her Bronze DofE – after her singing teacher noticed an abnormality in her breathing.

Determined not to let her diagnosis prevent her completing her DofE, Rosa incorporated physiotherapy for a partially collapsed lung into her singing lessons which she continued for her Skills section. She used her Volunteering section to reduce other young cancer patients’ isolation by organising ward activities to bring them together and offering support to those worried about hair loss – all whilst undergoing weeks of intense treatment herself.

Rosa, who was given the all-clear in June 2024, was celebrated alongside six other This is Youth winners at a star-studded event hosted by The Duke at Buckingham Palace. Winners shared their stories – and afternoon tea – with His Royal Highness and some of this year’s This is Youth judges*. The celebrity judging panel consisted of McFly’s Harry Judd and mum Emma Judd, actor Oliver Phelps, athlete and TV Gladiator Jodie Ounsley, SAS: Who Dares Wins star Jason Fox, influencer Fats Timbo, high-profile chef Jon Watts and broadcaster Karthi Gnanasegaram.

Now in its second year, This is Youth recognises the amazing stories behind The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, its half a million participants and nearly 40,000 volunteers – celebrating the astonishing things young people achieve and the remarkable dedication of the adults who support them.

Rosa’s resilience, determination and drive to support others during the toughest time of her life were among the reasons why she was chosen as winner of the Boundary Breaker of the Year category by judges Jodie Ounsley – aka Gladiator ‘Fury’ – and DofE Youth Ambassadors Abi and Freya.

Commenting on her win, Rosa said: “It’s really amazing. I just wasn’t expecting it at all. I was very surprised when I found out and I still wake up sometimes thinking ‘wow’.”

This is Youth Boundary Breaker of the Year judge, BBC One Gladiator Jodie Ounsley, said: “Rosa’s determination and resilience are among the reasons she stood out to me as this year’s Boundary Breaker of the Year winner. Receiving a cancer diagnosis is tough no matter your age and I am in complete awe of her positivity and selflessness during this time of her life.

“Rosa’s positivity knows no bounds and to hear how that positivity, coupled with her DofE, has brought young people together, reducing isolation and providing reassurance, makes her a shining example of what This is Youth Boundary Breaker of the Year stands for. Congratulations Rosa – you are so deserving of this recognition.”

Rosa’s story

Rosa – who did her Bronze DofE through Trinity Academy and The City of Edinburgh Council – was first alerted to her symptoms in December 2023 and later that month started to experience a high fever, extreme chest pain and shortness of breath.

It was Rosa’s singing teacher who noticed the first symptom – a problem with her breathing which later turned out to be the effects of a fist-sized tumour pushing on her heart and lungs.

Rosa immediately started treatment, spending over a month in hospital where she endured four cycles of treatment – eight days of chemotherapy, immunotherapy and steroids, and operations – as an in-patient, before having further, shorter cycles of treatment as an out-patient. Despite this, she wanted to use her DofE to give herself something to focus on and to help those around her.

Rosa was determined to continue singing as part of her DofE Skills section. She said: “My lungs had partially collapsed with treatment, so part of my physio was blowing bubbles to try and encourage my lungs to work. We used to sing a lot of Taylor Swift – it was the highlight of my week and really good for increasing my lung capacity. I had to have nasal oxygen and I was sleeping sitting upright as the tumour was pressing on my lungs, so it was definitely a challenge.”

Commenting on how her DofE Volunteering section helped get her through treatment, Rosa said: “I had the mindset of, if I have to go through this horrible experience, there must be something good to come out of it. I could see how much going through cancer treatment absolutely sucks and if I could do anything to make it a tiny bit easier for the other young people, just a tiny smile or a laugh, I wanted to. It meant I could enjoy aspects of my time, while also helping others.

“I’d support the staff by going and having a chat with any young people who were worried about losing their hair. I could give a first-hand perspective and say ‘yes it’s terrible, but when it comes back it looks like this’. I’d let them try on things like a fun pink wig and a headband that looks like hair, or my wig. I think it makes it less scary. I was losing my hair at the same time, so it felt like we were in it together. One of the kids left me a note saying thank you and signed it ‘from your new friend’ which meant a lot.”

Rosa hopes to have inspired others on the ward, including hospital staff. She said: “I don’t want people to think they can’t do something just because they can’t do it like everyone else is – they might be able to work around it. By doing my DofE, I felt like I’d accomplished something, and I could come out of my time in hospital with something to show for it. I went through this horrible experience, but look what I could get out of it. I knew I wanted to carry on to the Silver Award, and I hope to go all the way to Gold one day.”

About This is Youth

The DofE charity received hundreds of This is Youth nominations in seven categories, with the final winners chosen by panels including DofE Youth Ambassadors and celebrity supporters.

The six other This is Youth winners are:

• All-stars of the Year: A group of six Derbyshire police cadets** aged 14-15, whose DofE preparation and training potentially saved a participant’s life. Cadets Clarissa, Bethan, Amelie, Emilia and Rosie worked together to support their teammate Teri who collapsed whilst on the group’s Expedition – elevating her legs, keeping her warm and checking her heart rate and breathing, whilst calmly communicating the situation with emergency services via their DofE Leader.

This category was judged by actor Oliver Phelps and Youth Ambassador Megan.

• Change Maker of the Year, kindly supported by British Airways: Dora Abbi, 17, from Reading, who through her DofE Volunteering goes above and beyond to ‘give back’ to the Royal Berkshire Hospital – organising care packages for patients and advocating for young people’s needs via the hospital’s Youth Forum. She also volunteers at a local care home and food bank.

This category was judged by McFly’s Harry Judd and his mum Emma Judd, alongside Youth Ambassador Georgina.

• Trailblazer of the Year, kindly supported by The Gosling Foundation: Harry Jones, 18, from Great Missenden, near High Wycombe, is an inspirational leader to other students at his SEND school. Through his DofE, he has overcome speech and language difficulties and pushed himself out of his comfort zone to not only complete his Gold Award, but encourage others to go above and beyond what they think is possible to complete their own DofE.

This category was judged by SAS star Jason Fox and Youth Ambassador Sam.

• Innovator of the Year, kindly supported by AVEVA: Josh Ellicott, 17, from Bodmin, Cornwall, who designs recycled fabric clothing for himself, and to support disabled participants do their DofE Expedition.

This category was judged by influencer Fats Timbo and Youth Ambassador Erin.

• Life Changer of the Year: Daniel Evans-Tomkinson, 41, from Bolton, who has given young people with special educational needs life-changing opportunities through the DofE, building important life-long skills and, for some, giving independence they didn’t think possible.

This category was judged by broadcaster Karthi Gnanasegaram and Youth Ambassador James.

• Torchbearer of the Year: Lisa Waring, 50, from Stone, Staffordshire, who – whilst juggling working for the police – has given 27 years to supporting young people with their DofE Expeditions. Lisa broke down barriers to participation and her ability to connect with participants gave them the belief that they could succeed.

This category was judged by DofE alumnus and TV chef Jon Watts and Youth Ambassador Kalina.

Ruth Marvel OBE, CEO of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, said: “This is Youth shines a well-deserved spotlight on just a few of the incredible things being achieved by our outstanding participants and volunteers all over the UK, every day. From teamwork and innovation to overcoming personal challenges, all our winners have done amazing things through the DofE and are an inspiration to others. I want to congratulate and thank them for everything they are doing to challenge themselves, follow their passions and make a difference in their communities.”