Ocean Grove woman Sarah Huntly reveals how her job at Barwon Health’s Sunrise Centre helped her beat cancer

Ever thought your job could help you beat cancer? Here’s how it did for Ocean Grove resident Sarah Huntly.

Sarah Huntly, who beat thyroid cancer with help from skills from her job, pictured with supporters and Barwon Health Sunrise Centre team members Emma Breuer, Bree McPhee and April Chiu. Picture: Alan Barber

Would you ever think your full-time job could help you through cancer treatment?

It’s a bizarre notion, but something that proved true for Ocean Grove’s Sarah Huntly.

The 43-year-old is an oncology physiotherapist at Barwon Health’s Sunrise Centre – an exercise and rehabilitation centre, focused on prehabilitation for people facing cancer and cardiac care.

In 2020, Ms Huntly was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.

She said the morning she got the call that her tests came back positive, she was in a team meeting.

Ms Huntly said she had a new sense of appreciation for Geelong’s health services after facing cancer. Picture: Alan Barber

“I found out I needed to have surgery to remove the cancer, and quickly,” she said.

“And then I (went) back to the meeting, and just carried on with my day, in a bit a daze.”

Ms Huntly remembered telling her two sons – then 12 and 9 years old – about the situation being the hardest part.

Fortunately, Ms Huntly’s cancer was easy to treat with surgery, and she was back to regular family events and work after about a month.

She said her work at the centre informed her on exercises she could do in the lead up to her surgery, to help her return to normal life quicker.

“(I’ve got) a sense of appreciation for the healthcare that we do have in our local area,” she said.

“There’s some incredible clinicians and services.

“Working with people when they’re at their most vulnerable time is very rewarding for me, but also seeing people have that shared experience where they can support each other.

“The things that people can do in the middle of treatment is really incredible.”

Ms Huntly will be running 5.5km in this year’s Run4Geelong on November 12 with her younger son.

She said she was excited to achieve the feat with him, and hoped to raise $300 for the Barwon Health Foundation.

Donate to her fundraiser at to barwonhealthfoundation.org.au/fundraisers/sarahanstis

Register to participate in Run4Geelong at run4geelong.com.au

Originally published as Ocean Grove woman Sarah Huntly reveals how her job at Barwon Health’s Sunrise Centre helped her beat cancer