Cancer can't crush Pride of Australia nominee John Maunder's spirit

JOHN Maunder wasn't about to let a rare and incurable blood cancer break his spirit.

Pride of Australia - John Maunder

JOHN Maunder wasn't about to let a rare and incurable blood cancer break his spirit.

When the 21-year-old medical student was diagnosed in December with a form of Hodgkin's lymphoma contracted by just 30 Australians a year, he stared it down and began the fight of his life.

Through the fatigue and nausea of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and medication, Mr Maunder not only continued studying to become "the best doctor that I can", but with friends raised an astounding $93,000 for the Leukaemia Foundation's World's Greatest Shave. That made him the biggest individual, and his team the second-biggest group, fundraisers in Queensland. Mr Maunder also plans to do the two-day, 200km Ride To Conquer Cancer, for which he has already raised $11,250.

Mr Maunder has been nominated for a Young Leader Medal in the 2013 Pride of Australia.

Diagnosed shortly after graduating from the University of Queensland with an engineering degree, Mr Maunder said he'd been toying with the idea of studying medicine for some time, but the news galvanised his decision.

Leukaemia Foundation of Queensland boss Bill Petch said Mr Maunder's efforts had been inspiring and placed him among Australia's top fundraisers. From Wallumbilla near Roma, Mr Maunder is now in remission and on a bi-monthly drug regime for the next two years, but faces a 25 per cent chance of the cancer returning worse than before.

But that won't deter him from his fundraising efforts, nor from his dream of one day helping to find a cure for his rare strain of cancer.

To nominate, go to prideofaustralia.com.au Entries close July 16. You can also visit facebook.com/prideofaustraliamedal or #prideofoz on Twitter.

Read more Pride of Australia stories here.