'I can't tell you why, but I wasn't surprised when it came back and they said that I had cancer… It just showed up through the mammogram,” says Jan Tinetti comfortably over the phone from Wellington.
The Labour List MP for Tauranga, and Government Minister, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019 after a routine check-up. She had 'no lump”.
Today she's healthy – in fact, she's walking at 5.30am daily in support of a service that helped her through her personal battle with the big C. Jan had breast removal and reconstruction surgery, and now has regular specialist check-ups.
100ks in 30 days
Tauranga Breast Cancer Support Services was there in Jan's time of need – now she's there in theirs. She's participating in the 100ks in 30 days fundraiser, which is back for 2023 after TBCC debuted the event last year.
Tauranga residents are being asked to walk, run, cycle, or swim 100ks during May – and gain sponsorship for BCSST on the way.
Jan – one of BCSST's more high profile recipients – had a mastectomy in November 2019, and says the bright spot within her battle was Breast Cancer Support Services Tauranga.
'I was taken by surprise when I was diagnosed with breast cancer…I probably didn't cope with it mentally very well at all,” says Jan. 'But, the local breast cancer support people and Tauranga support base there were amazing. They were my lifeline.”
The 100ks in 30 days fundraiser has been extended this year to support breast support services in Northland, Hawke's Bay, Nelson, and nationwide charity Shocking Pink.
Jan is a newbie to the event, and will walk her 100ks – on top of her substantial parliamentary workload as the Minster for Women, Education, and Child Poverty and Labour List MP for Tauranga. 'This morning I was up at half past five, and I'm in Wellington, and I was walking along the waterfront.”
Jan reveals she's drawing her strength for this challenge from her cancer battle. 'I kind of feel that's the commitment I want to show. It was a big fight going through breast cancer, so doing a month of walking is…it's nothing compared to what I did to have to fight cancer.”
The fundraiser enables Breast Cancer Support Services to continue to care for individuals like Jan, who says you quickly realise how important the support agencies are once you're diagnosed.
'They reached out to me, they gave me the support that I needed. And I want them to be able to keep being able to employ those people, to keep having the resources.”
Regular mammograms
Jan encourages all wahine to undertake regular mammograms too. 'It is, particularly for women, a really, really important aspect of taking care of themselves. I didn't really understand that until I was diagnosed, and everywhere I go I encourage women to make sure they keep up with your mammograms.”
Jan urges others take on the 100ks in 30 days fundraiser. 'I think it's really important people get involved – whether that's donating or whether that's taking part themselves, I encourage everybody to get involved for their mothers, their sisters, their daughters, and their family.”
Registrations, sponsorship and donations, can be made at: 100kin30 days.nz