Guest speaker: Jodie Hjelm from ANZSA

At our last meeting, we welcomed Jodie Hjelm, Head of Operations at the Australia and New Zealand Sarcoma Association (ANZSA).

July is Sarcoma Awareness Month. Sarcoma is a rare, aggressive type of cancer that originates in the body’s connective tissues, including muscles, bones, fat, tendons, and blood vessels. Children and adolescents are disproportionately affected by sarcoma compared to adults. In adults, sarcomas become exceptionally rare, accounting for less than 1% of all adult cancer diagnoses, as adult cancers are overwhelmingly dominated by carcinomas.

Jodie shared the history behind the formation of ANZSA, and the passion and dedication of her colleagues. She also spoke about the Plank-a-thon, a fundraising team event of tag-planking: see how long you can remain in a plank position before tagging your team mate to take over! A great event to run if you’re a member of a gym.

To learn more about ANZSA and their amazing work, please visit https://sarcoma.org.au/

Thank you Jodie for visiting our club!