On Episode 24 of the RMA podcast we chat with Sydney Runner, Angela Caithness. Now at age 51, Angela shares with us how she has found her strength through running.
In this episode we discuss Angela’s background. Born in 1970, Angela grew up on a farm just outside of Devonport Tasmania. She shared an Idyllic childhood in a beautiful location with her sister Caroline and her parents, with views of the snow capped mountains in one direction and over the paddocks in the other direction to the blue sea of Bass Strait.
We discuss the many trauma’s that Angela has endured in her life. In January 1990 her dad got hit by a falling tree in a freak accident on their farm, rendering him a quadriplegic. We talk about how this impacted her family, and Angela as a teenager. Tragically, in August 2005 her sister was diagnosed with lung cancer (non smoker) which led to brain cancer. She passed away December 2007, 2 months after her 40th birthday. Her children were 7 and 5. Shortly after that, her father battled bad health and passed away in March 2009, and her mother in the December of the same year. So in 2009 Angela had lost her whole family before she had even turned 40.
Angela’s running Story didn’t start until just before she turned 48 when her kids were all grown up and she could finally do something for herself. Angela used to love to walk her dog at the local oval, but her dog passed away. After that Angela kept walking, and thought she would see if she could run from one light pole to the next. Then she challenged herself to run one or two laps of the oval. Then that Christmas her sister-in-law encouraged her to run around Lake Tuggeranong with her – about 7km’s, so she trained herself for that distance and they ended up running 2 laps which was 14km’s and her longest run. Then the rest was history. Angela was training and running events. She was training hard for the upcoming Canberra half when the world went into lockdown in March 2020. Lockdown for her meant that she had nothing to do but run. A local friend suggested she join strava and invited her to join RMA. It was here that she learnt so much about running and made an amazing friend, Claire McCleary. In 2021 she finally overcame injury and was feeling fit and strong, and because Angela had turned 50 she got sent a reminder to go for a mammogram as the Breast Screen van was nearby. During this routine scan she discovered she had DCIS – Ductal carcinoma in situ – early stage breast cancer. The following morning she was meeting the breast surgeon, breast doctor and breast care nurse. Angela made the decision to have a lumpectomy and radiation and she kept running when she could as it made her feel normal. She even did the Virtual Dubbo Stampede in between surgery and radiation- a PB OF 1:34:47!
Not only that, at the Canberra half marathon this year Angela came first in the 50-59 age group! and 1st Place female at the Western Sydney Marathon half marathon this June! She is showing other women that age and experiences are no barrier to your goals, and that you should chase them and live life to the full!
Angela has learnt that she is stronger than the traumas of her past, and that she has a bright future ahead full of possibility. All you need to do is believe.
You can follow Angela’s journey on instagram at @angelacaithness
This episode is brought to you by fisiocrem Australia
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