My Bucket List: Great Walks and Cancer Research

When I was 32 years old I was diagnosed with a rare ovarian cancer with poor survival. There is so much that I want to do in life, that really requires more time than I'll likely have. So I've focussed my efforts on what I can do, in the here and now. And set a goal to walk all of the Great Walks, and raise as much money for ovarian cancer as humanly possible - to give the gift of time to others.

When I was diagnosed it seemed an impossibility that I'd be able to finish all the walks, but despite 4 and a half years of constant cancer treatment - I am so blessed to be here, and about to tick off the very last one. I saved the longest for last - the Heaphy Track.

There is something special about being in nature that helps me forget my illness and focus on how incredible it is to be alive right now. What a beautiful country I live in.

On Saturday the 6th, I'll start walking over five days with my mum - it's the first tramp we've done together! I would be so grateful if you could donate to my page to help find better treatments to give women with ovarian cancer more time.

When I'm not walking, I volunteer my time to help improve outcomes for other women through Cure Our Ovarian Cancer. Cure Our Ovarian Cancer is the only dedicated ovarian cancer charity in NZ - and it supports research around the world including Otago University and the MD Anderson Cancer Center.

For more information about Cure Our Ovarian Cancer, including the latest annual reports visit: https://cureourovariancancer.org/nz/about/cure-our-ovarian-cancer/