In late 2022, 29-year-old elite road cyclist Kate Wightman from Muriwai had been diagnosed with three different gynaecological cancers.
Wightman was diagnosed with two types of ovarian cancer: stage 2b endometrioid carcinoma in her right ovary and a stage 3a seromucinous borderline tumour in her left ovary that had spread to her bowel and diaphragm. She also had stage 1 endometrial cancer in her uterus.
It was only thanks to an MRI for a cycling-related hip injury that the 6cm tumour on her right ovary was found — and it wasn’t until she was faced with the reality of cancer that she even realised they existed.
Wightman underwent three surgeries to remove her uterus, ovaries and parts of her diaphragm and bowel, putting her into surgical menopause, followed by chemotherapy. That meant she didn’t just have to come to terms with a potentially life-threatening diagnosis, but with the reality she wouldn’t be able to have children.
In New Zealand, ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynaecological cancer — one Kiwi woman dies of the disease every 48 hours.
Now in remission, Wightman wanted to do something to raise awareness of these cancers — and it just made sense to combine her passion for exercise with helping to make a difference.
“There’s very limited research into the female cancers, and I thought, something has to happen — we’ve got to drive a change here,” she says.
So she decided to set out to walk the length of New Zealand on the Te Araroa trail to raise awareness and funds for two charities — Talk Peach, which provides resources and subsidies for cancer sufferers, and the Graci Foundation, which conducts research into how to improve outcomes for gynaecological cancer patients.
Wightman set out on her 3000km journey from Cape Reinga on September 30, and will aim to get to Stirling Point in Bluff this Saturday 3 rd February at around 2:00pm. She would love to have as many supporters down at the finish and join her on her final part of the journey. She will be coming across from Riverton along Oreti Beach and travel in towards Invercargill on Dunn’s Road before cutting across to State Highway 1 and up Bluff Hill.
Kate’s partner, Dan Gardner is the 2023 SBS Bank Tour of Southland champion. He won the stage up Bluff hill for the past two years and Kate is going to travel the same route before dropping down the other side to come out at Stirling Point. Kate has a give a little page and is aiming to raise $50,000.