Boobs and bikers

Diane Parker, founder of Journey of Hope, blogs about a motorcycle ride across the country to raise breast cancer awareness, a disease which affects one in every 27 South African women.

For Parker it’s an intensely personal journey: in 1996 her cousin died of breast cancer after being diagnosed at a very advanced stage of the disease. At the time Parker was involved with the Ladies of Harley USA, a club for women Harley-Davidson® motorcycle enthusiasts, which had decided to spread awareness about breast cancer.

“I couldn’t believe it when I too was faced with this diagnosis later, but because of my awareness I was able to pick up my breast cancer at an early stage,” she says.

Journey of hope begins
In 2005 Parker met breast cancer awareness advocate Olade Olayinka, and together they set about organising the first “Biking for Breast Health – A Journey of Hope” which took place in October 2006, and was such a resounding success that the American Chamber of Commerce in South Africa awarded Diane the "Star of the Community" award in 2007.

Follow their progress on the Journey to Hope 2009 ride as 15 breast cancer survivors travel across the country from Cape Town to Johannesburg on Harley-Davidsons®, spreading a message of positivity through appearances, talks and awareness workshops at shopping centres, schools, taxi ranks and communities along the route.

More info:
Doing a breast self-examination
Mammography

(Joanne Hart, Health24, October 2009)