A 56-year-old ice climber with 'superhuman' lungs was climbing the highest peaks in Europe. She was diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer during a routine screening.

• Jackie Head is an ice climber who's completed high-altitude treks in Iceland and France.
• She had zero symptoms of lung cancer but caught it early, thanks to a free scan.
• She's now cancer-free after surgery and believes everyone should get screenings.

Jackie Head's lung power comes in handy considering her active lifestyle. The 57-year-old lives for ice climbing, free-diving, and polar training, which involves nine hours of skiing a day and pulling a 66-pound sledge. 

"I've always said I've got very strong legs and I've got very strong lungs," Head, who's summited Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Western Europe, and gone on Icelandic expeditions, told Insider. 

It was her penchant for climbing in high altitudes — and her lack of any symptoms — that made her lung cancer diagnosis such a shock.

At age 56, Head received a complimentary screening because her area, Essex, was targeted by the UK's National Health System as part of a new initiative to detect lung cancer earlier. She remembered wishing the staff a happy Christmas and walking away "assuming that there's definitely nothing wrong with me."

But her CT scan showed two nodules on her right lung, and a later biopsy revealed that she had stage 1a, or early stage, lung cancer.

Head only went to the screening because lung cancer runs in her family

Originally, Head had planned to be away at the time of the screening — she was signed up to cross the Northern Patagonia ice cap with a team. Due to financial reasons, some members dropped out and the trip was canceled.

Because both of Head's parents had lung cancer, she decided she might as well get a screening.

After the initial scan, she had a biopsy performed, which confirmed that the 26-millimeter nodule on her lower lobe was cancerous.

Her adventurous lifestyle helped her emotionally deal with her diagnosis

When Head was diagnosed in January 2023, she was initially "really angry," considering her commitment to fitness and how hard she worked at safeguarding her health.

She said the doctors wanted to schedule the surgery right away, but she decided to postpone for a 10-day trip to an arctic ice festival in February. The biopsy and surgery both worried Head, who knew that complications could include a collapsed lung that could temporarily inhibit her from doing all her favorite outdoor activities. 

But at the same time, her lifestyle prepared her to deal with the worst outcomes. She said ice climbers "generally live like there's no tomorrow: You face fear a lot of times because it's very dangerous." 

Plus, she realized the diagnosis "highlighted some things in life you do not have control of," and that the only thing she had power over was how she took the news.

When she returned from her trip, Head went right to the hospital to get the surgery.

She had part of her lung removed and is now cancer-free

In March, Head had a video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) to remove the lower right lobe of her lung, which she said will reduce her oxygen intake — though so far it hasn't impacted her work outs.

Still, she felt optimistic: In her lung function tests before the surgery, she learned she had "superhuman" lungs according to a doctor. Since the surgery, she said her right side still feels "very tight and odd" but that she's gotten used to it.

Now cancer-free, Head already has her next trip planned: The Snowman Trek in Bhutan, a 28-day journey considered to be the most challenging traverse in the Himalayas. 

As far as screenings, she plans to get her next one in August and plans to get them every six months to be safe. 

She also hopes other people will consider getting more frequent screenings. Lung cancer is the deadliest form of cancer in the UK and US, but it's also more common in older men and smokers. Because the early stages commonly show no symptoms, many people might not realize they have lung cancer until later, when treatment is much more difficult.

"I believe we need a new face for lung cancer," Head said. "Then people might actually turn their head and think 'Maybe I should start having a body scan every two years.'"