Back in the Lycra, This Time It’s Personal

Last year, I made the questionable decision to ride 200 kilometres over two days in Lycra. With the incredible support of family, friends and colleagues, I also managed to raise $10,000 for cancer research.

Just one week before the ride, I found a lump in my breast. A month later, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

What followed was 16 rounds of chemotherapy, surgery and 15 rounds of radiation, none of which featured in my plans for the year. It turns out the 200-kilometre ride wasn’t going to be the hardest thing I would do.

I have since been the recipient of extraordinary care and treatment, made possible by decades of research and fundraising for institutions such as the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research. The treatments available to me, and the positive outcome I have been incredibly fortunate to achieve, exist because people have funded research, backed brilliant scientists and continued searching for better answers.

So, despite my legs having enjoyed a fairly convincing excuse to retire, I’m getting back on the bike.

Last year, I rode to support people affected by cancer. This year, I am one of them. Riding 200 kilometres after everything my body has been through will be a significant challenge, but it is also a chance to celebrate how far I have come and to raise money so that more people can access kinder, more effective treatments and better outcomes.

Every donation, large or small, supports cancer research here in WA. It will also make it much harder for me to reconsider this entire Lycra-based life choice halfway through training.

Thank you for supporting me. It genuinely means more this year than I could ever adequately express.