You might recognise Jodie Amor, Founder of Pink Finss, when she runs past, but what you might not know is that she's running to keep the cancer at bay in her mind.
The last few years have been tough for the ladies who run Pink Finss, not being able to meet face-to-face with the women with cancer they help in the community.
But things are getting back on track for Ms Amor and her small team of volunteers, who run the charity to help women with cancer and their families with some basic - but important - tasks like meal support, house cleaning, someone to talk to and help paying the bills.
Ms Amor, who sells dental consumables for a living - started Pink Finss over a decade ago after she had breast cancer herself and noticed there was a gap in the services she could access to help her locally.
"While I was going through treatment, I had support groups I could access but it was down at Westmead and Penrith at night, and living it Sackville-Ebenezer and having young boys at home at the time, it was too difficult," she said.
"I felt blessed that I had support at home but there were many others who didn't. I felt it would be a good thing to have some sort of support in the Hawkesbury, to not feel alone, and to be able to chat to other women. I wanted to support other women any way I could.
"So that's how it started - we made a support group and it slowly grew. Now it's a charity."
The charity began with a triathlon to raise money for breast cancer, and the small group of ladies ended up raising a huge $20,000. They knew they were on to a good thing - and so was Ms Amor with the running.
Today, it is not uncommon to see Ms Amor running around the well-known Hawkesbury tracks like down by the river at Windsor.
"I needed to do something to make myself mentally stable and fit and healthy," Ms Amor said.
"So I kept running, and I also have my regular check-ins with my doctor.
"Running for me really clears my mind. The endorphins make me feel really alive and blessed, and grateful that I can do what I'm doing. It's my way of telling myself I'm OK.
"Also when I run, to me it's like - 15 years later - I'm knocking it on the head, saying 'you're not going to get me, you're not going to get me'.
"Cancer does change you. It changes your outlook. You're fighting and your fears never really go away. So to me, when I'm running, I'm fighting it, and when I run I'm beating cancer."
Sarah Falson
Daily Liberal journalist. I love telling people's stories. Get in touch at sarah.falson@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Daily Liberal journalist. I love telling people's stories. Get in touch at sarah.falson@austcommunitymedia.com.au
