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Cuppa for a cure

Lisa Wilkinson, Jane Flemming and Gretel Killeen all take time out from their busy schedules to sit down with Woman’s Day for a Pink Ribbon Breakfast, and tell Angela Mollard why it’s so important to them.

Jane Flemming, Gretel Killeen and Lisa Wilkinson all lead busy, dynamic lives but getting them together for a pink ribbon breakfast was easier than it sounds. Quite simply, it’s something they care enough about to prioritise.

For author and TV host Gretel Killeen, discovering a lump in her breast at age 29 was one of the most terrifying experiences of her life. “I’d lost a workmate through breast cancer and then a couple of years later I found a lump in my breast,” she recalls. “It put the fear of God into me, but I got it checked and had a biopsy and it was fine.”

As the mother of an 18-year-old daughter, Gretel feels encouraged that today’s young women openly discuss their bodies and their health.

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As for her own health, Gretel eats well and exercises regularly, but refuses to stick to a hard and fast regime. “I do walk at least 40 minutes most days, but I don’t run, because it makes your breasts sag!”

Lisa Wilkinson laughs and reveals she’s also a walker — something of an achievement when you consider how much she yearns for more sleep.

It was the death of Lisa’s father in 1990 which led to her becoming an ambassador for the NBCF. “I lost my dad to cancer, and when you’ve seen a loved one suffer through the cruelty of the disease, you will do anything possible to help find a cure,” says Lisa.

For athlete and sports commentator Jane Flemming, the focus has long been on what her body can do rather than what it looks like. The Commonwealth Games gold medallist runs when she can, but these days exercise comes more from pushing her twins, James and Samuel, in their stroller.

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