Thursday, 19 March 2020
Members statements
Team Teal
Team Teal
On Saturday, 29 February, the Night at the Trots fundraising event was held at TabCorp Park Melton. For six weeks commencing 1 February every year the harness racing community raises awareness of the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer and raises funds for the peak research organisation, the Australia New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group, and its programs to improve outcomes for women who are affected by the disease.
Ovarian cancer is the most deadly of all the gynaecological cancers. The harness racing industry is one of the few sports where women compete against men on an equal footing.
Teal is the internationally recognised colour for ovarian cancer. In 2020, 249 reinswomen across the country will wear teal pants—every win attracts a donation of $400. In Australia, Team Teal funds contribute to an educational program: Survivors Teaching Students. This program promotes consistent, evidence-informed messages about prevention, screening and symptom awareness of gynaecological cancers for health practitioners and engages doctors and healthcare practitioners about the importance of their role in prevention and appropriate investigation of women with symptoms.
In Australia 1510 women were diagnosed in 2019, and 1046 women will die in the same period of time. Forty-six per cent of women who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer will survive five years. At stage 1 ovarian cancer diagnosis, women have a 95 per cent chance of recovery.
On the night, brave Survivors Teaching Students speaker Leane Flynn addressed the audience about her own journey with ovarian cancer. A quote by Leane: ‘We desperately need funding. We desperately need research. That is the only way this is going to stop and that’s why I am sharing my story with you’. Thank you, Leane, and thank you, Team Teal.