Caroline Booth

Join me for an 80s Glam Long Lunch

✨ My Why ✨

This year, I’m stepping out of my comfort zone and onto a stage as part of Stars of the Hunter 2026, all to raise money for the Cancer Council. My goal is to raise over $10,000 - but this challenge is about far more than a number. It’s personal. 

My story with cancer began when I was 23. A routine Pap test came back abnormal, and I was diagnosed with CIN3 - precancerous cells in my cervix. At that age, you believe you’re invincible… until you’re not.

I was lucky. It was found early, treated quickly, and carefully monitored afterward. That experience changed the way I see cancer and the lifesaving power of early screening.

But my story doesn’t end there.

Cancer has shaped my family’s life in ways that still echo today.

My stepdad passed away on 1 March 2004 after a long and painful battle with asbestosis, an incurable cancer that slowly took everything from him. He was only 54. A few months later, my grandma died from lung cancer at 77.

My aunty has fought her own cancer battles with incredible strength.
A friend lost her life to brain cancer.

Other friends have fought breast cancer and are winning. But they fought a hard battle.

My sister-in-law has been fighting cancer for several years now. She has regular check-ins, ongoing monitoring, and a strength I admire deeply. 

What I’ve learned from watching their journey is this:

Even when you ‘beat it’, cancer never really leaves your mind. The worry, the scans, the waiting… it stays with you and the people who love you.

Last year I had a hysterectomy after long-term health issues, which means cervical cancer is no longer part of my story. But while I was recovering, my brother took his own life - something that shattered all of us and left a thousand questions. And now I’m navigating a divorce.

Life has been heavy. Overwhelming. Full of moments I never thought I’d have to face.

So why dance?

Because I want to bring joy back into my life.

Because I need something that feels hopeful.

Because this journey is a chance to turn pain into purpose.

And because I want my three beautiful children to see their mum stand up, push forward, and do something brave not just for me, but for others.

I’m dancing for every person who’s fought cancer. For every family who’s lived through it. For the ones we’ve lost, the ones still fighting, and the ones who carry the scars long after treatment ends.

And I’m dancing for early detection - because if cancer is found at stage one, survival rates skyrocket. Research, screening, education, and support save lives.

If you’re able to support my fundraising, I would be so grateful. If you can’t donate, sharing my story helps more than you know.

Thank you for standing with me, for reading my story, and for believing in a future where fewer families have to face what mine - and so many others - have gone through. 💛✨