Leaping for a cause: Shepparton Runners Club’s Chris Nicholson leaps over this year’s Mother’s Day Classic guest speaker Taren Kirby, local ambassador Kylie Jones, fellow club member Kate Dainton and event co-ordinator Kathy Fuller.
Photo by
Holly Daniel
Run, walk, paddle — it doesn’t matter; they all raise vital research funds to prevent diseases that have plagued too many of us and our loved ones.
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This year, the Mother’s Day Classic Foundation will host its 12th Shepparton event on May 12 at Victoria Park Lake, with 2km, 4km and 8km distances available.
“We love creating a sea of pink around the lake,” event co-ordinator Kathy Fuller said.
“We are also the only region that has our ‘paddle walkers’ — supported by the Shepparton Canoe Club — who paddle up and down the lake for the 8km.”
What’s different about the Mother’s Day Classic this year, is that the event will raise funds for breast and ovarian cancer research, partnering with the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation for the first time.
For the past 26 years, the National Breast Cancer Foundation has been the sole beneficiary of funds raised at Mother’s Day Classics nationwide, raising $44 million.
In that time, the five-year relative survival rate for breast cancer increased from 84 per cent to 92 per cent.
Ready and raring: Runners Chris Nicholson, Kate Dainton, Kathy Fuller, Kylie Jones, Taren Kirby, Steven Trevaskis and Phil Podbury, with ‘paddle-walker’ Julie Keillor, are gearing up for this weekend’s Mother’s Day Classic.
Photo by
Holly Daniel
However, in its 27th year, participants will be given the option of their fundraising dollars going towards supporting research for either breast cancer or ovarian cancer research, or both.
“The Shepparton event has raised well over $100,000 during this time for breast cancer research,” Ms Fuller said.
“We are thrilled that ovarian cancer research is now part of the Mother’s Day Classic and is an opportunity for more funding into research.”
Long-time event participant and Shepparton Runners Club member Taren Kirby will be the guest speaker on the day.
Important roles: Breast cancer survivor Taren Kirby (left) will make her debut as guest speaker at the event on Mother’s Day. She is pictured with three-time breast cancer survivor and local ambassador Kylie Jones. Both will complete the event on Sunday.
Photo by
Holly Daniel
Ms Kirby has been a pink tutu-wearing pacer for the 8km event previously and was diagnosed with breast cancer not long after last year’s event. She will be a pacer again this year.
Well-known community member Vicki Scott, who is currently battling stage four bowel cancer, will be the MC on the day, while three-time breast cancer survivor Kylie Jones is a local ambassador.
Ms Jones has been an ambassador for several years and said her role of sharing the event’s significance was important.
“Being an ambassador is about promoting the event and being a face for it,” she said.
“It’s a great event, a great morning out.”
Fighting fit: Kylie Jones is a long-time ambassador for the local Mother’s Day Classic and a three-time breast cancer survivor.
Photo by
Holly Daniel
Ms Jones, whose last diagnosis was in 2018, is still an oncology patient and said she “probably will be for ever”.
She remains on medication and has six-monthly check-ups, but said embracing a healthy and fit lifestyle was necessary for her wellbeing.
“That’s why triathlon and this event have been a big part of my journey,” she said.
Ms Jones and her mum will complete the event together this weekend.
Local Yorta Yorta Elder and breast cancer survivor Aunty Pam Pederson is the national face of the event.
It is predicted 70,000 participants will walk or run for the cause nationwide on Mother’s Day. Will you be one of them?
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