“Annie’s strength and spirit are with me every step of the way.”

Rohan

At last year’s Walk, I crossed the finish line and was met by my wife, Annie, who placed my medal around my neck. It was a deeply emotional moment—a symbol of the strength and determination we’d shared ever since her cancer diagnosis. Later in the year, I lost Annie, but I continue to walk and fight in her honour.

When Annie was diagnosed in 2018, we made a promise to face the challenge together. I stood by her side as she endured major surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation to fight her cancer. Before her initial surgery, her CEO at her workplace, Hawaiian arranged a meeting with Professor Peter Leedman. That meeting changed everything. It connected us to the incredible Walk community and the groundbreaking work being done at the Perkins.

Learning about the Perkins’ world-class research lit a fire in me. I wanted to do more—to fundraise, raise awareness, and help stop women’s cancer in its tracks.

What started as a way to support Annie became something much bigger. I found a close-knit community, one I’ve come to love. The Walk feels like a small-town event right here in the big city. 

This year, I’ll be walking with my team, Annie’s Angels, fuelled by hope for better treatments and healthier futures for the women we love.

“The Walk is my way to show love and respect for the strength of women like my mum, who endure so much."

Karah

In 2016, just two weeks after my sister’s wedding, our world was turned upside down. At a family dinner, my beautiful mum Tania, my rock, shared the news that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. I was completely shocked. I never thought cancer would touch our family. 

Mum faced surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation to keep the cancer at bay. But in 2019, our heartbreak deepened when we learned the cancer had metastasised to her brain. 

More surgeries followed, buying her precious time, but this year we received the devastating news that her brain tumour was now inoperable. True to her strength, Mum took it in stride and started a rigorous therapy trial that recently became available on the PBS. 

I’m incredibly grateful that Mum is still responding to treatment. It’s heartbreaking to see the toll it has taken on her and on my dad, who has stepped into the role of her primary caretaker. Through it all, our family remains resilient and supports each other however we can.

That’s why the Walk is so much more than just a cause. It’s personal. It’s my way of standing up for my mum and for everyone else facing this battle. I’m walking to push for better early detection and improved treatments for women with metastatic cancer because they deserve hope and a fighting chance.

“The ladies I walk with were already my best friends but doing the Walk together creates a forever bond."

Danni

In 2020, my mum was diagnosed with breast cancer. We were still coming to terms with her diagnosis when, just two months later, I found a lump in my own breast. Urgent tests confirmed my worst fears. Facing cancer at the same time as my mum was devastating, especially when I was told it was triple-negative breast cancer and that I carried the BRCA-1 gene, which increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancer. 

I was numb and scared. My mind kept racing, thinking about my husband, my two little boys and of course, my mum. But I knew I had to fight. I started chemotherapy, had a double mastectomy and full left axillary clearance, followed by five weeks of radiation and finally a full hysterectomy.

The treatments were tough and the side effects were awful, but it was the emotional toll that caught me off guard. Even now, it lingers. Still, I made it through and so did Mum.

Now, I walk every year with my best friends to give back and help raise the money needed for life-changing cancer research. It is my way of turning our experience into hope for others by hopefully funding the next medical discovery.

“Every year I'm inspired by other walkers and the amazing work of the Perkins."

Tania

I’m Tania and this year marks my eleventh Walk. I keep coming back because of the fantastic camaraderie among other walkers and the amazing work being done at the Perkins.

I first joined the Walk in 2014 to support two close friends who had lost their loved ones to cancer. One lost her 32-year-old sister and the other lost her mum when she was only 21 years old. We walked together to honour their memories and I wanted to do my part to help find a cure for women’s cancer. 

Now I walk every year because I feel part of a strong and inspiring community, one that is truly making a difference. Fundraising for the Walk gives me a sense of purpose, knowing I’m helping the women we love.

Every year, I’m inspired by the other walkers, their stories and the world-class research happening at the Perkins. My hope is for fewer people to suffer and lose loved ones, for greater innovation in preventative medicine and ultimately for a cure.