South West Paralympian Sharon Jarvis will be speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2021 Relay for Life on November 6.
Ms Jarvis was diagnosed with ewing's sarcoma when she was seven years old.
She said it was a rare cancer that usually effected teenage boys.
"My parents were told I would have 20 per cent chance of survival," she said.
However, after a year of being treated by US oncologists with experimental chemotherapy, radiotherapy and limb salvage surgery she went into remission.
Unfortunately Ms Jarvis has had ongoing problems with her leg after she broke it in the same place where the cancer was a year after going into remission.
"I had my last major surgery on it in 2015 and now we always manage it and maintain it the best we can," she said.
"Does cause me pain daily, have nerve pain flare up but that's what I deal with and I have things in my life that keeps me going and not focus on the pain."
Ms Jarvis remembers the bad days of going through treatment, but she also remembers how her family stayed positive for her.
"My parents were incredible," she said.
"They chose not tell me how sick I was and stayed positive.
"The hardest part was on my parents and older brother and sister.
"I went through everything but I didn't have the worry they did."
When Ms Jarvis speaks at the opening ceremony she will talk about how important the care patients receive for everyone in the community is.
"I think the power of hope is incredible and if my story can bring hope to someone going through something similar then that makes me hope," she said.
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After the opening ceremony the first lap around the oval is for cancer survivors.
Relay for Life logistics officer Wendy Maslin said there was still time for survivors and their carers to come forward and participate in the lap.
At 8pm the event will have its candlelight vigil for people to pay tribute to those who have lost their lives to cancer.
Mrs Maslin said people are welcome to send in a photo and come onto the oval for the vigil as well.
"Anyone can come into the oval and donate and walk a lap," she said.
Relay for life will be held at Bunbury's Payne Park Oval from 11am November 6 to 11am November 7.
For more information about the survivor's lap and candlelight vigil, contact Wendy Maslin on 0407210355.
Jemillah Dawson
I started as a journalist in 2011 and now manage mastheads in the South West of WA. My passion is politics and sport. I believe we are the voice for the community but also we inform the community of what they need to know. Email jemillah.dawson@austcommunitymedia.com.au
I started as a journalist in 2011 and now manage mastheads in the South West of WA. My passion is politics and sport. I believe we are the voice for the community but also we inform the community of what they need to know. Email jemillah.dawson@austcommunitymedia.com.au
