In September 2007, Atkinson did a 5 kilometre (3 miles, 190 yards) charity run for breast cancer awareness. She embarked upon a walk along the Great Wall of China in April 2008, as part of a charity event organised by Olivia Newton-John's breast cancer awareness charity. She was joined on her section of the walk by celebrities Marcus Patric and Ant and Dec amongst others. The walk was intended to symbolise the steps cancer patients must take on their road to recovery.