Jo Lovelock wife of Andrew, mother of Sam, Tom and Katie, married 22 years, midwife, and breast cancer survivor living on the beautiful Mornington Peninsula Victoria.

I am soooooo excited.

In my previous life, I rode- being the little sister of 2 motorcyclists students at what was Caulfield Institute of Technology. It was a natural progression to join CITMCC and ride. Although owning Japanese bikes (one brother deceased through a bike accident and the other now a Harley rider) they got me safely through weekends away, intervarsity road races at Winton, Melbourne to Darwin, across to Perth and round Tassie several times.
Marriage and children stopped all that.

A breast cancer diagnosis in 2003 - surgery, chemo and radio opened up another world to me. One I had only briefly visited after losing my SCUBA diving buddy to breast cancer several years earlier.

Introduced to a small group of 'younger women' diagnosed at the same time by our breast surgeon was inspiring. The 'Chardonnay Club', we met in each other's home we laughed, we cried and we hugged, these were my first 'breast friends'.

This experience led me to further education and I became a Breast Care Nurse (as well as a midwife) at my community not for profit hospital and prompted me to co found and co facilitate 'Breast Intentions' a support group for younger women on the Mornington Peninsula. The women I meet through the group continue to inspire me.

Through my cancer experience I have attended national conferences for both survivors and breast care nurses, stood 'Live in 2005' with 11,500 other pink people at the MCG, and become involved in our local community's breast cancer campaigns from speaking at pink breakfasts, helping organize BCNA's minifields of women and breast health promotion, combining both personal and professional experiences.

After meeting Meredith at a forum, I was encouraged to explore Amazon Hearts. A cancer diagnosis can knock you down, but I've got up again and feel this ride is my reward. I am soooo excited.