Lady drivers rallying behind the fight

When Jenny Stone was first informed of ovarian cancer diagnoses in 2015, she had just one wish.

The now Redcliffe-based Stone was given three months to live when she had the distressing information passed on by her gynaecologist, told to get her “affairs in order”.

To make matters worse, Stone was just months away from becoming a grandmother for the first time when she was notified of the cancer in her ovaries.

She was actually on the train to look at her first grandchild through a scan when the dreaded phone call come through.

After being told she only had three months left – Stone was determined to live long enough so that this future grandchild remembered her as a person and not just a photo on the wall.

As 2022 kicks off, Stone has two grandchildren that will most certainly remember their loving grandmother, who has fought through several waves of ovarian cancer and all the trouble that comes along with it.

“I wanted them to have memories of me, that was very important to me,” she said.

“Now, one of them is five-and-a-half and the other is three-and-a-half, so we have seen them, we have lots of happy memories and they certainly know who I am.”

The former mathematics teacher by trade is one of countless women around Australia and New Zealand that are in the minds of the harness racing industry over the next six weeks during the annual Team Teal campaign.

The industry’s advocacy and support of Team Teal is a significant contributor to fund-raising for women with ovarian cancer.

From February 1 through to March 15 each year, all reinswomen race in teal pants to raise awareness and much-needed funds for women with ovarian cancer when they secure first across the finish line.

The Queensland harness racing industry is taking up the reins again for Team Teal in 2022 to raise funds for ovarian cancer research, with $200 donated every time a Queensland reinswoman drives a winner in the Sunshine State.

Stone only became aware of Team Teal last year and quickly became involved, attending an event at Albion Park on the final day as money was being tallied up.

“I was absolutely overwhelmed by what people were doing in harness racing,” Stone said.

“I love the fact the lady drivers wear the teal colours and the way that they were so keen, it was amazing.

“It is creating awareness in the young people. It is fantastic and getting the message out there.

“Hopefully it can just continue to grow and get bigger and bigger.”

Stone has been through surgeries and chemotherapy with the cancer coming back on multiple occasions following her initial diagnosis.

Now six years on from first being informed of her ovarian cancer, Stone recognises it is at the stage where her cancer is palliative and she is grateful she has been able to live much longer than first suspected.

Stone was among the first people to join Survivors Teaching Students in Australia, educating future medical professionals on the keys to supporting women and their families through gynaecological cancer.

Through her involvement with Team Teal in 2022, Stone, who had not heard of ovarian cancer before her diagnosis, is representing Survivors Teaching Students.

“I want to help as many women as I can, so they do not have to go through what I have gone through,” she said.

“That is why Survivors Teaching Students is so important.

“The young doctors need to be able to recognise what is happening with the women, if I can help to achieve that and women are diagnosed earlier than they may have been before, that is my aim.”

Top Queensland drivers Narissa McMullen and Chloe Butler will take on the role as ambassadors for Team Teal in 2022.

The 27-year-old McMullen has been an ambassador in past years and is excited to be back on board.

“I look forward to participating in Team Teal as the campaign highlights the significant contribution of women in the harness racing industry while raising funds and awareness for such an important cause,” McMullen said.

Last year, Queensland drivers bettered their efforts from the 2020 Team Teal campaign with over $15,000 donated to raise funds for ovarian cancer research last year.

“I look forward to participating in Team Teal again this year because it shines a light on this terrible disease, helping to raise finds and awareness, so as we can limit its impact on the community,” the 18-year-old Butler said.

Being based near “The Triangle”  up on the Redcliffe Peninsula, Stone is keen to watch the races at Redcliffe over the coming weeks and hopefully see plenty of teal go past the winning post first.

“It is a sport that women and men take part equally in, which I think is fantastic,” Stone said.

“I was biased cheering for all the women last year so we could raise more money and hopefully that is the case again.”

By Jordan Gerrans for Racing Queensland