Anne passed away on the 9th of August. She will be remembered by those who knew her as an open, friendly and strong person who was determined to enjoy life to the full despite having been diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer. Anne loved the outdoors, was a strong believer in the benefits of exercise and threw herself into kayaking, cycling and joining in social get-togethers at the coffee shop. She talked freely about her illness, where she was at, the disappointments along the way and the good points. Her openness made it much easier for the rest of us – we learnt not to be shy about asking her how she was. There were times when Anne must have been in a lot of pain, but she never showed it. On many occasions, she looked well, chatted away as we paddled or cycled, it was hard to think that she was so ill. Yet she was, it was a battle for her, but she wouldn’t let it take over. Anne set herself goals and was determined to achieve them. If there was a hiccup, she dealt with it and always found a positive to focus on rather than let the disappointment set her back.
Anne was also on a mission to encourage others who had been diagnosed with cancer to think on the positive side – get outdoors, exercise, enjoy the environment. She was an inspiration to all those who knew her.
Anne was keen to get underway with this year’s Cancer Council Ride500 campaign, and feeling that time may be running out, got permission to start early. The Cancer Council appointed her as the NSW Ambassador for the event, they couldn’t have chosen a better person. Anne was cycling right to the end. Over the last two years she raised almost $50,000 to help cancer research.
Anne will be missed by all those who knew her. 