Suzy completes loony Rook!
10 Jun 2026Former Scotland forward Suzy Rook has completed her North Pole challenge with a difference, to celebrate her recovery from cancer.
Suzy, 37, won 13 caps in the front row for Scotland Women between 2011 and 2013 and over the course of the past five years, has undertaken cold water swimming as a means of exercise.
She was diagnosed with thyroid cancer last year, but has been given the all clear and as reported a few months back, wanted to give something back to the communities that have supported her in her recovery.
The charities are the Butterfly Thyroid Cancer Trust and Back Onside, supporting mental health.
Early this June, Suzy travelled to Svalbard in Norway, one of the closest, permanent inhabited, human-settled places to the North Pole, and completed at 25-minute, 1km swim – the first Scottish female believed to have done so!
Suzy has so far raised more than £10,000 for both charities and, having presented the match ball at Scotland Women’s fixture with France in the 2026 Guinness Women’s Six Nations, alongside fellow former cap Hannah Smith, had a message to those that have supported her: “It was an incredible experience to swim in the Arctic and I’m very proud of being able to achieve such a feat.
“I want to say thank you ton those that have helped me along the way and of course to those that have donated to my causes – there’s still time to give!”
You can indeed still contribute to Suzy’s fund-raising here: https://tinyurl.com/y6r46zdy
Photo credit: Quentin Monaton
