Angie, a single mother, and student, received a life changing diagnosis at 39 years old. Before she turned 40, Angie found out she had stage 3 aggressive breast cancer.
Reflecting on her journey, "when I was diagnosed, my world turned upside down," she shared. Despite maintaining an active lifestyle, she found herself confronting a diagnosis she never anticipated.
"I never thought this could happen to me as a fit and active Thai boxer and runner, but it did," she acknowledges, highlighting the unpredictability of some forms of breast cancer. With two young children relying on her strength and resilience, she faced the daunting prospect of undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
"At the time, I was a single mum with two children," she recalled. Balancing the demands of treatment with the responsibilities of parenthood and academia seemed a challenging task, but she remained undeterred in her determination to persevere.
"I thought it was going to be challenging to go through chemo and radiotherapy while looking after my children, working, and finishing my degree," she admitted.
"I decided I would get through this. I’ve learned to have a positive mindset, to never give up, and to keep fighting strong,"
"I just kept thinking of my kids. They got me through mentally.”
Thank you to Angie for sharing her personal connection to breast cancer through her own unexpected diagnosis.
As a testament to her resilience and commitment to raising awareness, Angie runs annually in the Adelaide Mother's Day Classic and, in 2023, took on the role of Community Ambassador to share her story of hope and strength with others.
