Search (products and articles)

Every year since 2016, I have participated in the Carman's Fun Run.

Seventeen years ago, in December 2005, my Mum lost her own battle to cancer after a three-year fight, and became my biggest inspiration in life. My beautiful Mum is my driving force that has led me to be determined to make a difference in the lives of those who are facing similar situations.

2023 is a particularly special year, as on the 22nd of January it will be Mum's 50th heavenly birthday.

We were, and still are, so lucky to have an incredible support network around us, which is something that BCNA provides for thousands of Australian's every day in similar situations.

I look forward to fundraising at this event every year, and can’t wait to turn Elsternwick Park pink again!

Let's be frank: cancer sucks. It changes the way your body feels and it changes the way you feel about your body. The treatments can make you sick. Sometimes you're scared. Sometimes you're angry. In my experience, you're often both at the same time. You worry about how your family and your friends are coping. And for too many people, on top of all of this, is the worry about how to pay the bills if you can't work, about who's going to look after the children while you're getting treatment, how you're going to get to and from your appointments, and so it goes on. I have metastatic breast cancer, a diagnosis which came just after I was sworn in as the Member for Dunkley and two weeks before I was to give my big first speech. I had to decide how to go about coming to terms with the diagnosis, starting treatment and managing that with my new – and very public! – job.

In 2021, it is projected that 20,030 people will be diagnosed with breast cancer, including 19,866 women and 164 men. An average of 55 people per day. So, I am neither unique nor alone in the journey that I am on. But I am, as a member of the federal parliament, someone who has a platform that can be used to benefit others. I decided to use my platform to do all I can to raise awareness of the importance of universal access to health care. And, not surprisingly, to put a large spotlight on breast cancer. One of the ways I do this is to support the BCNA at every opportunity. This Carman’s Fun Run I will be walking – I’m hoping to make 10km, but am confident I will make 5km!

Australia’s much loved Olympic champion, Raelene Boyle, will be an Ambassador for the Carman’s Fun Run 2022. Having being diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996 Raelene is a passionate advocate for women and men living with breast cancer and has been a very active board member of Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) since 1999.

Raelene represented Australia in track and field at three Olympic Games. She won three Olympic silver medals, seven Commonwealth gold medals and two Commonwealth silver medals. In 1974, Raelene was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in recognition of her outstanding sporting achievements. She was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2007, in recognition of her work with cancer organisations, particularly Breast Cancer Network Australia. In 2013, she was named in Australia’s Top 100 Sportswomen of All Time.

Raelene is one of the National Trust’s 100 Living Treasures, a member of the Australian Track and Field Hall of Fame and one of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame’s 39 Legends of Australian sport. Raelene was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996.

Since I was in my early 20’s I knew my family had a wonky breast cancer gene. We just don’t know which one. The specialists think we have our own “special gene”. It has affected my mum, twin sister, cousins, aunts and nanna Pat ­– seven out of nine ladies from my family have had breast cancer before the age of 40. We are all strong and close and, over lunches, have cried, hugged and celebrated end of chemo together. While men can also get breast cancer, our family has been fortunate in this space. After years of breast screening and with support from a Familial Cancer Centre I opted for an elective double mastectomy when I was 34 years old. That was 13 years ago.

I will be running the half marathon in February and looking forward to the bay views, the warm and positive vibes and running with all my fellow SISTERS as we raise funds and awareness for generations to come.

I'll be running the Half Marathon with some awesome running friends here in Sydney (Run Anywhere, Run Anytime) on Sunday 20 February as part of the Carman's Fun Run, to mark 12 months since my last round of chemotherapy.

In October 2019, during Breast Cancer Awareness month I felt something unusual in my right breast and it was swiftly diagnosed as early-stage Breast Cancer. As an avid runner and otherwise fit and healthy 41 year old Mum, I was genuinely shocked by this diagnosis and terrified about what lay ahead.

15 months of treatment followed involving a combination of chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy. I was so grateful to be blessed with an amazing treatment team and the support I received throughout from everyone around me was unbelievable.

During that period running was my solace - a place to escape to and something I could control when so much else was out of my hands. Some days I could only run 1km, others much more and tougher days were punctuated by regular walking breaks, however, I was always very grateful to be able to run.

Raising awareness and funds naturally now lies very close to my heart and I am thrilled to be taking part in this event.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2021 (ironically during Breast Cancer Awareness month) and it took me a minute to completely process the fact that I had the big C. This was a word that I had seen thrown around in film and TV storylines and have unfortunately witnessed friends go through, but nothing prepares you for when it is happening to your own body. Utter and pure disbelief, followed by fear and the burning question constantly on your mind, “will I get through this?”. 

I was gifted with an amazing team of professionals who have helped me navigate my journey - my brilliant surgeon Dr Teresa Nano and radiation oncologist Dr Samantha Barbour, along with the team at Icon Cancer Centre at Greenslopes Hospital. They have made my radiation experience so easy and dare I say it, fun…To all these incredible women that I’ve been so fortunate to cross paths with across countless appointments, I will be forever grateful for your care and empathy. 

I’m running in the fun run to help bring awareness to young women with breast cancer and to raise money to continue life-saving research. If it weren’t for those before us helping to raise awareness and working so hard towards developing new technologies and treatments so the future generations could live fuller lives, then I know my story would look very different. I’m not a runner by any means but after going through these past few months, I’m so much stronger and resilient than I ever imagined I could be and now I feel like I can take on anything. Oh, and make sure to check your bits every once in a while!

My Name is Katie, and I was diagnosed with hormone positive Stage 3B breast cancer in 2022, two days after my 27^th birthday. 

I found a small lump when I was trying on bathers before a holiday, but it felt too small to be anything. During a holiday in late January, I noticed it had grown and asked my partner Adam to make sure it wasn’t all in my head. He could feel it too and agreed I should get it checked when we came home. 

When I had the lump checked by my GP, I was told: ‘you’re too young to have breast cancer, it’s probably all in your head.’ Safe to say I didn’t see that doctor again when my results came back. 

So far, I’ve completed 16 rounds of chemotherapy, had two mastectomies and reconstructions, full auxiliary node clearance and I’ve just started my first week of radiation. 

I’m very lucky to have an amazing partner who I could not have done this without, and my family and friends have been my teammates through all of this. Countless grocery runs, lifts to and from appointments, shopping for me when I couldn’t get out of bed, and most important of all… deliveries of Bahn Mi’s and Pepsi max. 

Cancer at any age is scary, but cancer before you’ve had a chance to start a family and tick off some of your bucket list items is even scarier. Having a network of supportive and encouraging family, friends, doctors, specialists is so important to take on cancer and to not only beat it, but to thrive.