Sport
22 May, 2026
Striding out for cancer
A POWERFUL personal story of survival set the tone for this year’s Mother’s Day Classic in Innisfail, where 45 locals turned out in perfect weather and helped raise an impressive $9345 for breast and ovarian cancer research.
Local ovarian cancer survivor and guest speaker Mareeta Nicolau moved participants before the start of the walk/run, sharing her emotional journey and urging the community to listen to their bodies and push for answers.
She said if her story encouraged even one person to seek help sooner, “then it matters. It’s about early detection, awareness, and hope and not letting these diseases keep taking the people we love.”
Participants took part in a warm-up followed by a minute’s silence, honouring those who have lost their lives to breast and ovarian cancer.
From Jack Fossey Park on 10 May, men, women and children, many dressed in bright pink, created a colourful scene along the 5.7km course, which followed the riverside walkway, crossed Jubilee Bridge and continued along Coronation Drive before looping back.
All registered participants received a race bib and a medallion as they crossed the finish line.
The event’s success was driven by the dedication of former volunteer Meghan Davies, who hosted her first Mother’s Day Classic in Innisfail and praised the community spirit behind one of Australia’s largest national fundraising events.
Ms Davies thanked major sponsor Rivers Insurance Brokers for their generous $3000 contribution, along with the volunteers who worked tirelessly behind the scenes.
“This event would not be possible without them,” she said.
Since the first Mother’s Day Classic in 1998, more than 1.7 million Australians have taken part, raising $48.23 million for the National Breast Cancer Foundation and, since 2024, $2.57 million for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation.
Every day in Australia, 61 people are diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer, and 12 people die from these diseases. With limited treatment advances, no early detection test for ovarian cancer, and a survival rate of just 49%, organisers expanded the event’s fundraising efforts in 2024 to include ovarian cancer research.
This year, Mother’s Day Classic events were held in more than 90 locations across the country from major cities to remote towns, including Innisfail and Cairns.