'Cancer does not define you’: Local mum’s run an inspiration to sufferers
FEATURE
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IRISH-born Laura Gray readily admits she’s stubborn and will never shy away from a challenge.
And it’s for this reason, she is putting the dramatic events of the past two years behind her and will be tackling the 10km run in Sunday’s Tropical Journeys Great Barrier Reef Marathon Festival.
During this period, the 38-year-old mother of two and Port Douglas resident has had to endure her husband Danny’s heart-wrenching escape from a helicopter crash, which resulted in the death of his mate Brad Maisel, and a personal battle against cancer while raising her two sons.
Now, even though she knows that some of the battles will continue, she is overcoming her adversity true to her personality.
“Well, I’m not a ‘why me?’ kind of a person,” Laura said in an interview with Newsport.
“So when bad things happen I try to deal with them the only way I know how: look for the positives, be grateful for everything we have, do whatever needs to be done to make situations better, and drink heavily when necessary.”
And part of this journey is competing on Sunday and what it will mean when she crosses the finish line.
“Finishing the run on Sunday for me is massive. It marks the start of the journey of taking back control of my body,” she said.
“It celebrates the end of chemo and pumps me up ready to face the next stage of treatment which is radiation that starts the next day.
“I hope finishing the race shows others who have been diagnosed that cancer does not define you, it is just a blip in the road that can be overcome. And lastly it’s a big ‘FUCK YOU’ to cancer.
“We have had T-shirts made to wear on the day (emblazoned on the front with Team FU Cancer) that have been sponsored by Carlton & United Breweries and printed locally by TS Print and Embroidery. So when this is all over, I will actually be able to say: been there, done that and worn the T-shirt.”
Laura takes the opposing view that what she is embarking on is remarkable.
“There are several adjectives I would use to describe what I’m doing on Sunday and remarkable isn’t one of them. Crazy, stupid, ridiculous just to name a few, but I am Irish, and stubborn, and I wasn’t prepared to back away from the challenge.
“We have been through a lot in the last two years but there will be people running on Sunday who have been through tougher times than us,” she said.
Thanks to social media and Laura’s profile in the town, Team FU Cancer was born and family and friends across the world will be eagerly awaiting her Facebook update on Sunday.
“When my Facebook updates began, I thought I was being hilarious so I tried to bring my sense of humour into a not so funny situation through my posts. That’s just how I naturally react when faced with adversity.
“Each update was signed off with FU Cancer. So when I told people I had registered for the run they put their hands up to do it and Team FU Cancer was born. There will be 13 of us running on the day but hundreds more will be with me in spirit.
“The support I have received from friends and family across the world during this tough time has been overwhelming and has helped motivate me to achieve my goal,” she said.
Laura said she only finished six months of chemo a month ago so training has been sporadic and inconsistent depending on what her body allowed her to do on any given day.
“Some days I felt more like an 83-year-old than a 38-year-old but this race is not about achieving a PB (personal best). It’s about getting back some control of my body and feeling like the ‘old’ Laura for a couple of hours.”
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