By Luke Voogt
Leukemia forced Judy Cohn to take a break from tennis but it couldn’t stop her supporting the club she loves.
The Waurn Ponds grandmother was one of about 20 artists who submitted art to the All Saints Tennis Club’s upcoming art show.
“It’s a very nice display to look at,” the 67-year-old told the Indy on Monday.
“I haven’t played for the last year because of my illness.”
Judy joined the club six years ago after a 25-year break from the sport. On court in late 2015 she realised something was wrong.
“I found I was very tired playing my third set,” she said. “I thought it was worth getting a blood test.”
Judy remembered the sinking feeling when doctors told her she had leukaemia.
“I thought ‘I might not get out of this’,” she said.
“They were telling me the statistics for my particular leukaemia and because I was older it meant I had a 20 per cent chance.”
But after six months of intensive chemotherapy, Judy was cancer-free.
“Now I’ve got two years of what they call maintenance which is a tablet each day,” she said. “That’s just to get rid of all those nasty little cancer cells if there’s any floating around.”
The grandmother of six credited her recovery to Barwon Health’s quick diagnosis.
“They were fantastic – the minute I went in they took a bone marrow biopsy,” she said.
“They took it very seriously and instantly I was taken through Andrew Love – tests done – and put straight in hospital.”
As she recovered, Judy continued one of her other decade-long passions – painting wildlife in watercolour.
“I could take it in and paint, much to the amusement of the nurses,” she said.
“It keeps my mind busy and I’ve been very successful selling. It gives you incentive to keep painting.”
The fit granny resumed riding her bike along the Barwon River as her strength returned.
“I’m only doing 20 to 30 kilometres – not a huge amount,” she said.
“I used to be able to ride 60 or 70.”
But she has held back on her return to tennis – for now.
“I really would love to (play) but the season has just finished now,” she said.
“I’ve still got to watch myself. I just have to feel fit enough to be able to run.”
Her team-mates had reached the finals of Geelong Lawn Tennis Association’s division 12 competition.
“We’ve got a very good chance of actually – maybe because I’m not in it,” she said.
Judy’s artwork will be on display at the All Saints Tennis Club’s 22nd Annual Art Show this weekend.
The show, at the club’s hall at Newtown, includes wine-tasting, cheese and jazz.
For more information phone Roma Burge on 0402 074 102.
