Eleven months ago Lesley Paterson was on top of the world.
The five-time world champion triathlete was the toast of Hollywood when the movie she fought for on the big screen, “All Quiet on the Western Front,” won four Oscars, including best foreign film.
The World War I film won a record seven BAFTAs, including Best Film and Best Adapted Screenplay.
But Ms Paterson’s Hollywood dreams came to an abrupt halt late last year when her 22-year-old sports psychologist husband, Dr Simon Marshall, was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
In a moving Instagram post, the couple – who moved to California to pursue their film dreams full-time – vowed to beat the devastating diagnosis, with Ms Paterson saying: ‘2023 was filled with the greatest of the greats, the highest of highs, the lowest of the lows.
Five-time world champion triathlete Lesley Paterson was the toast of Hollywood, but the star’s dreams came to an abrupt halt late last year when her husband Dr Simon Marshall was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
Mrs Paterson’s GoFundMe page for her husband, which the couple described as the ‘biggest fight of our lives’
Lesley Paterson and Simon Marshall attend the BAFTA Film Awards 2023 Nominees Party at The National Gallery on February 18, 2023
In a moving Instagram post, the couple – who moved to California to pursue their film dreams full-time – vowed to overcome the devastating diagnosis. Pictured: The happy couple heads to a party in LA on March 10, 2023
Prince William, Prince of Wales meets Lesley Paterson and Daniel Dreifuss on stage after the BAFTAs at The Royal Festival Hall on February 19, 2023
Simon Marshall and Lesley Paterson attend the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in March 2023
Ms Paterson’s First World War film, All Quiet on the Western Front, won a record seven BAFTAs, including best film and best adapted screenplay. Pictured: Paterson poses with fellow screenwriter Ian Stokell at their BAFTAs in February 2023
A world-class athlete, Ms. Paterson used her winnings to purchase the film rights to the 1929 novel Enrich Maria Remarque. Pictured: Paterson winning the 2012 ITU World Triathlon Alabama Elite Women’s race on May 19, 2012 in Birmingham, Alabama
‘From BAFTA wins, Oscar nominations, Oscar wins… but unfortunately… Simon was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. So in 2024 we face the biggest fight of our lives.
‘Keep that positive energy coming, because we will need it.
Dr. Marshall added, “From launching new careers and moving to LA and starting this incredible journey that we’ve both been on now in the film business… even though late stage pancreatic cancer is never fun, but we’re going to beat it and I have I have the world champion and hustler extraordinaire by my side and on average we are doing just fine.’
Ms Paterson, 43, from Stirling, made global headlines with the story of how it took her 16 years to secure a deal to adapt Erich Maria Remarque’s 1929 novel into a film.
The book was made into a Hollywood film in 1930 and won the Oscar for Best Picture.
Ms. Paterson was a groundbreaking actor and world-class athlete when she met writing partner Ian Stokell and approached the Remarque estate to secure the rights to remake the film for a modern audience.
The triathlete used her winnings from a race in Costa Rica, which she took part in despite a broken shoulder, to buy the film rights and invested more than £165,000 over 16 years before seeing her dream come true when Netflix agreed to release the film as a movie. to make. German-language project.
The film, starring Daniel Bruhl and Felix Kammerer, was a commercial and critical hit and led to Ms Paterson and her English husband – whom she met when they were both students at Loughborough University – moving to LA full-time.
A source said: ‘After their Oscar and BAFTA wins they were on top of the world. They were finally living their dream, the filmmaking offers came in and everything looked rosy.
‘Then in November last year Simon was diagnosed with one of the worst forms of cancer.’
The pair have launched a GoFundMe to raise $500,000 to fund experimental treatments.
All Quiet on the Western Front also won four Academy Awards, including Best Foreign Language Film. Pictured: Sienna Miller, Lesley Paterson and Ian Stokell
Lesley Paterson at the 28th Annual Critics Choice Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on January 15, 2023 in LA
Ms Paterson, 43, from Stirling, made global headlines during her 16-year battle to adapt All Quiet on the Western Front
But the star’s dreams came to an abrupt halt late last year when her husband Dr Simon Marshall was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
Lesley said her husband was ‘on the brink’ of an ‘exciting new chapter’ of his life when he received the bad news
Mrs Paterson described her husband’s fight as a way of life to ‘challenge us with unexpected obstacles’
Triathlete Ms Paterson took part in a race in Costa Rica despite suffering a broken shoulder
On the GoFundMe site, Lesley wrote: ‘Life has a way of challenging us with unexpected obstacles, and right now my husband Simon and I face the biggest test of our lives.
“Guided by the unwavering spirit that has defined our lives, we are determined to overcome this monumental challenge.
“Simon was on the cusp of a remarkable new chapter in his career when this diagnosis disrupted our plans and affected us emotionally, physically and financially.
“While we are fortunate to have excellent insurance, the standard care options available for pancreatic cancer can be somewhat limiting in their effectiveness. In our quest for the best possible outcome, we investigate new and emerging treatments, therapies and modalities.
These groundbreaking approaches offer hope, but come at significant costs. As we strive for victory against this ruthless opponent, we need support from our incredible community: our friends and family who have always stood by us through thick and thin.”
As of Friday evening, the fund had reached $117,000.