After she was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2024, the longtime Queenstown resident and mum of two was told she had only eight months to live .
Now, six weeks after her successful chemotherapy treatment finished, the 52-year-old is running the tough 15km course to celebrate her returning energy and the joy of being alive.
‘‘I don’t care if I do it in two hours or three hours.
‘‘I’m going to go out there and enjoy living and being among it.’’
The dedicated gym-goer, runner, biker and lake swimmer says she was ‘‘super-fit’’ before her diagnosis, and took part in lots of sporting events.
She has done the Miners Trail Run three times, the Queens-town Marathon half marathon and 10km events, and many open water swims.
‘‘Anything to do with sports, I’ll be there and I always love a challenge.’’
Although her treatment left her feeling sick and exhausted, she kept exercising as much as she could because it made her feel better.
A believer in the adage ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’, she is ‘‘super-excited’’ about Saturday. ‘‘Just the fact I’m able to do it— 18 months ago I would not have thought I would ever be able to do this again.’’ She has also signed up for the Arrowtown Backyard Ultra in November.
Meanwhile, Motatapu race director Gemma Peskett says more than 2700 people have entered its five events — a small increase on last year’s numbers. The other four events are the 52km Ultra Trail Run, 42km Trail Marathon, 47km mountain bike and the 4km Junior Trail Run.
