Mika’s Dance of Courage: Moving for Love, Loss, and Hope
If there’s music playing, Mika’s already on the dance floor. She’s got rhythm in her soul and sparkle in her step, even if it’s been many moons since her last formal dance class. Ballet and physical culture were her childhood passions, until an ankle injury turned her passion into a memory. But guess what? That dream never left her bucket list.
So when the chance came to dance again, nerves, butterflies, and all, Mika said a big, brave “YES!” She might need a few extra lessons (or a hundred), but she’s ready to shake off the rust and shimmy for a cause close to her heart.
These days, Mika has swapped her tutu for yoga pants and has been guiding others through breath, and movement for the past 17 years. Her life’s mission is to nurture people through yoga and nutrition, and for the past 14 months, she’s been pouring her energy into Cancer Council NSW.
Mika’s life has been deeply shaped by cancer and loss. In 2020, she lost her father during the isolating and painful days of the COVID pandemic, a time that made grief feel even heavier. Her mum, a warrior in every sense, overcame cancer not once but twice. Her aunty detected breast cancer early and faced it with fierce determination. Back in 2007, Mika lost a close friend to liver cancer, a wound that still lingers. Her beautiful young cousin and several close friends’ family members are no longer here. And just last year, she witnessed the incredible strength of her close friend’s daughter, who bravely battled cancer and won.
Every step Mika takes on that dance floor will be for them, for the fighters, the survivors, the ones we hold in our hearts.
So, if you see a whirlwind of energy, emotion, and possibly sequins spinning across the stage, that’s Mika, dancing not just for herself, but for every soul she carries with her.
You're already a star. Good luck Tamika.