Renee Chandler's breast cancer experience was a mountain to climb that taught her a lot about life.
She's realised nothing should be taken for granted, life is short and cancer research is vital.
On Friday, she will join West Wallsend High School students for their annual "Cancer Sux Walk" to Mount Sugarloaf.
The walk will raise money for the Newcastle-based Breast Cancer Trials, whose research has helped Mrs Chandler and many other women get better treatments.
After a lumpectomy to remove tumours in her left breast, Mrs Chandler had reconstructive surgery and 15 rounds of radiation.
"Now I'm on a medication called tamoxifen, an endocrine therapy that blocks my hormones from feeding any other cancer cells that could have travelled into my body," she said.
Breast Cancer Trials has shown that tamoxifen significantly reduces recurrence and mortality for women with hormone-receptor positive breast cancer.
Renee's husband, Michael Chandler, is the deputy principal of West Wallsend High.
"Taking 400 kids to the top of a mountain and back is a purposeful excursion. Mount Sugarloaf is the landmark we look to and think of home," Mr Chandler said.
"The Cancer Sux Walk started 17 years ago when our PE teacher Alicia Breasley had a breast cancer diagnosis.
"The school has fundraised for cancer charities for years. We're a proud community school. Our students punch above their weight on this."
The walk is not easy.
"The kids need to dig deep and have a crack. It's 6.5km there and back. That represents the cancer journey and people doing it tough," Mr Chandler said.
The school aims to raise about $10,000.
"The fundraising is a great outcome. Lots of businesses get behind us," Mr Chandler said.
Mrs Chandler was diagnosed with breast cancer a week before Christmas last year.
"I wanted to walk side by side with Renee every step of the way. That's the most important thing any partner can do when life turns on you," Mr Chandler said.
Mr Chandler said he "admired Renee's strength".
"She was very positive. She wanted to take it on. For me, it was a time where I wasn't in control. That's something I'm not used to," he said.
"You're very vulnerable and it's very real when you're relying on others."
Mrs Chandler had stage two cancer.
After having several biopsies that were benign, her GP recommended that she attend the Breast Centre at Gateshead.
"They started monitoring me pretty closely. Coming into Christmas, my doctor at the clinic said 'we've done so many biopsies on you and you have dense tissue'," Mrs Chandler said.
"She sent me for an MRI. She wanted to rule everything out and get a clearer picture of what was going on. I'm so glad she did because my cancer was uncovered with the MRI scan.
"It could not be seen on a mammogram or an ultrasound. I was lucky. I'll be forever grateful to that doctor."
Mrs Chandler said going through cancer "definitely gives you a different perspective on life".
"You go through every day taking so much for granted, but cancer shocks you into realising life's too short. I absolutely make the most of every day," she said.
She said raising money for research was "so vital".
"There are so many different forms of breast cancer and so many different ways of treating them," she said.
"What organisations like the Breast Cancer Trials do is so important."
