Sophie Sonnenwirth

My Squat Challenge for breast cancer research

56 people in Australia are diagnosed with breast cancer every day, and a further 9 will die. One in seven women will have breast cancer in their lifetime.

After being diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2024, it has taken almost two years for my energy to properly return. Now that it has, I want to use it in a way that matters.

Although my cancer was large and had spread to my lymph nodes, I was incredibly fortunate that it was ER-negative, HER2-positive breast cancer. This meant I was able to be treated with Herceptin and Perjeta, which eradicated my cancer entirely. Twenty to thirty years ago, the prognosis for the same diagnosis would have been far more dire.

I am here today because of breast cancer research. Treatments that now offer excellent outcomes simply did not exist not that long ago.

There are women being diagnosed right now who are desperately waiting to hear the words I was privileged enough to hear: “We know how to treat this. You can expect a very good outcome.”

This challenge is my way of doing my part to ensure more people get to hear those words.