By Luke Voogt
Belmont’s Alanna Perry will take the plunge over Barwon Heads Sunday in memory of her mother who fought breast cancer for nearly two decades.
“It’s really is about being brave, which is a really big part of fighting cancer,” she said.
“I know how brave and strong my mum was. But it’s also for all women who go through it.”
The 27-year-old mother-of-two will leap from a plane at 4000 metres with 12 other women to raise money for the Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA).
“I’ve actually done it before but it’s a bit different now because I’ve got kids – so it’s silly jumping out a perfectly good plane,” she said.
Alanna first jumped as a 16-year-old and later with her mother-in-law when her son was 16 months old.
“It was in the aeroplane that it all hit. I was thinking ‘what are you doing? You got a little kid and she’s the only other person that can raise him’.”
Alanna will jump with Newton friend and workmate Emily Jones. They were struggling to decide which was more nerve-wracking – sky diving or shaving their hair after.
“At least we’ve got each other on the day,” Alanna said.
Alanna was six years old when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1995.
“When I was in school I remember kids teasing me because my mum had short hair,” she said.
“She had to be brave for us but she also had to be brave for herself because she had to walk down the street looking different.
“A woman can lose her identity going through that treatment.”
In 2004 the cancer spread to her bone.
“They told her that she had two years maximum,” she said.
“She just wasn’t going to let that happen.”
She died in 2012 when Allana was pregnant with her second child.
“Up until then she just fought and fought,” she said.
“She met her first grandson.”
Each skydiver has set a fundraising goal for Brave For BCNA and so far the Barwon Heads skydivers have raised more than $31,000.
BCNA partnered with Skydive Australia in 2016 for the national jump event to raise $127,000.
To support the event visit braveforbcna.gofundraise.com.au.
