Bunbury walkers raise money for breast and ovarian cancer on Mother's Day
The 10th annual Mother's Day Classic was held on Sunday morning to raise money for breast and ovarian cancer.
More than 80 participants walked 2km around the Big Swamp Wildlife Park.
Bunbury event organiser Parthasarathy Ramesh said the Mother's Day walk was an important way to raise money and awareness about people affected by cancer.
'Mother's Day signifies our appreciation of mothers globally and using it as a platform to recognise and appreciate cancer sufferers and their families,' he said.
On average, 58 Australians are diagnosed everyday with breast cancer.
In 2024, 21,194 Australians were living with breast cancer with one in seven women being diagnosed, and one in 554 men.
Meanwhile, about 1815 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer per year in Australia, with 1000 women losing their lives annually to the illness.
Dr Ramesh said the Bunbury walk event had raised about $80,000 in the previous nine years.
'The fundraising helps towards breast and ovarian cancer research,' he said.
'Several million dollars have been raised nationally. We are hoping to raise at least $10,000 dollars this year.'
The event was held across all Australian States including multiple WA locations such as Perth, Broome, Geraldton, Denmark and Esperance.
Each participant as part of the registration price received a race day bib and a medal.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
New implant gets country music fan on the road again
Jenny Young was in her late 40s when her audiologist told her she would need hearing aids. Phone conversations were hard, she needed friends and family to repeat themselves and she increasingly skipped the country music shows she'd always loved. "It was muffled. The words weren't clear, so I just gave up because I didn't know what song was coming on," Ms Young, now 58, told AAP. She initially ignored her audiologist's advice until life became too difficult. "Sometimes you felt excluded, and you tended to exclude yourself because you weren't quite sure what was said, and you didn't want to pop in and embarrass yourself," Ms Young said. After mixed results with hearing aids, her audiologist suggested her for a trial of Cochlear's latest implant, the 8th generation of the device which directly stimulates the auditory nerve, compared to hearing aids which amplify sound. Cochlear's Nucleus Nexa System, launched in Australia on Wednesday, is the first of its kind with upgradeable firmware and internal memory within the implant. The memory allowed users to store their personal hearing settings on the implant, while upgrades could improve the way the auditory nerve was stimulated, implant program director Robert Briggs said. "That's a big change, and in the longer run we're hoping new stimulation strategies will allow better clarity and of hearing and better speech understanding," Profesor Briggs told AAP. The new device was developed over a decade with the help of Cochlear's 600-strong research and development teams across six global centres. One in six Australians, or 3.6 million people, suffer from some form of hearing loss. Cochlear has provided more than 750,000 hearing implants to people around the world over four decades, and helped children born deaf to hear for the first time. When Ms Young first had the implant, she said interpreting the signals was like learning a new language. "To me it sounded like a lot of magpies talking all at once in my head," she said. But with time and a little patience from friends and family, she was soon back where she wanted to be. "Six weeks after I got my implant, I went to the Deni Ute Muster in the front row and watched my country music," she said. "So it has given me back my social aspect, my confidence ... It's just given me a new lease for life." Her hearing journey has been long and difficult at times, but she urged anyone noticing changes to get checked. "I just want to suggest anybody that has trouble hearing or think they're having a difficulty - get onto it," she said. "Seek help early, because it is life-changing and it improves the quality of life; emotionally, mentally, socially. "Don't sit back like I did."
West Australian
4 hours ago
- West Australian
Kellie Cassidy: Fair work ruling for pay rise will threaten psychology services
There are grave concerns that a recently awarded pay rise for psychologists could have unintended consequences for Australians seeking psychology treatment, potentially reducing access to care in an already extremely thinly stretched, under resourced sector. The Fair Work Commission's ruling that a range of female-dominated occupations have been 'historically undervalued' is an important correction, that will increase the pay of hundreds of thousands of workers covered by five industrial awards by up to 35 percent. As a clinical psychologist myself, and treasurer of the Institute of Clinical Psychologists, I fully support the Commission's commitment to addressing gender pay equity. Equity in pay is a worthy and overdue goal. But equity in access to health care is just as critical — and must not become collateral damage in the pursuit of reform. Without targeted revisions and coordinated policy responses, these well-intentioned changes risk doing more harm than good. Most private psychology clinics already pay well above award rates due to market demand and the specialised nature of the work. Even so, the proposed increases will still have a significant financial impact, especially when combined with penalty rate provisions. These increased practice costs are not supported by corresponding increases in government funding, placing unsustainable pressure on small and medium-sized businesses. These increased costs will likely result in increased out-of-pocket fees for many Australians seeking psychology treatments, and reduced accessibility to care. Additionally, it's very likely after-hours services will be reduced due to unaffordable penalty rates and a corresponding reduced capacity to recruit and retain staff, especially in already underserviced areas, like regional and remote areas. Standard hours for psychology clinics typically extend to 8 or 9 pm on weekdays and include Saturday sessions, with after work-school hours and Saturdays having the highest client demand. However, the Professionals and Support Services (HPSS) Award 2020, which covers psychologists, defines 'ordinary hours' as 6am to 6pm Monday to Friday. Any work beyond this window attracts full-shift penalty rates, greatly inflating staffing costs for clinics aiming to provide client-centred, flexible care. By contrast, professionals such as physiotherapists, osteopaths, and chiropractors work under awards with broader definitions of ordinary hours, giving them a competitive edge. Although these professions will also face increased salaries, they won't be forced to apply penalty rates to evening work in the same way. Ironically, the proposed wage increase, when combined with penalty rate structures, are more likely to limit flexible work arrangements for psychologists, 80 per cent of whom are women. The proposal is likely to inadvertently hinder workforce participation for the very demographic it aims to support. But this isn't to say the new award rates aren't workable. At the ICP, we believe some amendments to the HPSS Award are necessary to provide continuity of, and access to care. While the aim of the proposed changes is to be applauded, the day-to-day operational realities of private allied health practices need to be properly considered, and we can't afford to further limit Australians access to psychological treatment, at a time that they've never been more in demand. Dr Kellie Cassidy is a Clinical Psychologist and Treasurer of the Institute of Clinical Psychologists
The Age
15 hours ago
- The Age
Is your house making you sad? This guide to anti-depressive living will help
We all know by now that our living environments can make us sick. From toxic mould to poor indoor air quality, plenty has been written about the risks of unhealthy homes to our physical wellbeing. Less, however, is known about the impact of our homes on our mental wellbeing. Lockdown experiences during COVID-19 would indicate that some residential environments can make us happier than others. Indeed, while some Australians enjoyed time spent in spacious homes on large estates, others struggled in less luxurious surrounds. And although the restrictions lifted long ago, for many, their homes still leave a lot to be desired so that rather than feeling rejuvenated, comforted or invigorated by their spaces, they feel, well, a bit sad. But is it possible for your home to be designed for happiness? Stefania Reynolds, project director and head of interiors at Sydney-based firm Studio Johnston Design, says the answer is firmly 'yes'. 'Design has a profound impact on how we feel at home. It shapes our emotional responses, mental wellbeing, and even our physical comfort,' says Reynolds. 'Spaces that balance openness with intimacy help foster deeper connections without being overwhelming.' Creating a home that nurtures, she says, is less about size and more about understanding the elements that make it a pleasure to come home to, and to live in. Loading 'A lot of the time during those early days of exploring the brief we need to draw out the 'why' behind the client's wishlist,' she says. 'We try to translate practical needs into emotional outcomes.'
