At the 2026 Gold Coast Marathon, spectators could see and hear Kate before they knew her story.
Whenever someone called out, “Look, a dinosaur!”, she roared back from inside her inflatable purple T-Rex costume - so often over the 42 kilometre course that she almost lost her voice.
To the crowd, it was funny. To struggling runners, it was encouragement. But beneath the costume was a 48-year-old woman who, only 9 months earlier, had undergone an eight-and-a-half-hour Whipple procedure after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
The previous Christmas, Kate had needed one hour and 20 minutes to walk five kilometres, stopping halfway to sit down and recover. Now, she was completing a marathon - not only to prove what her body could do, but to raise awareness and funds for a disease she had barely understood before it turned her life upside down.
Running for a reason
If it gives someone a laugh and helps raise awareness, then it has done its job!
Kate completed the 5km event in a full purple T-rex costume and the marathon in an inflatable ride on T-Rex.
I saw someone run a Parkrun in an inflatable costume and thought, if they can do five kilometres in one, surely I can.
Kate has taken part in Gold Coast Marathon events since 2016, often wearing costumes to raise money and awareness for charity. It started with a pair of angel wings and soon grew into a collection of around 50 costumes.
This year, her choice of costume had a more personal meaning. After being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Kate decided to fundraise for Pankind and searched for something purple to wear. Through her efforts, Kate has raised an incredible $1000 for Pankind.
The costume brought plenty of laughs along the course. Spectators called out to her, runners joked that they could not let a dinosaur beat them, and Kate roared back until she nearly lost her voice.
But behind the fun was a serious purpose. Kate displayed a fundraising QR code on the costume, and several people donated after seeing her on the day.
"My world just got turned upside down"
Just 10 months earlier, Kate knew very little about pancreatic cancer.
She had no symptoms. A cyst in the head of her pancreas was found incidentally during an endoscopy and colonoscopy prompted by her family history of cancer.
Initially, the 2cm cyst appeared harmless and was monitored. 12 months later, it had grown to 4.8cm and testing found cancerous cells in its lining.
Kate went from being told there was little to worry about to learning she would need a Whipple procedure within four weeks. At first, she underestimated the scale of the surgery.
“I thought I would go in for day surgery, have three little holes in my belly, they would pull it out and away we’d go".
Instead, Kate underwent an eight-and-a-half-hour operation.
Despite having worked in hospital administration and cancer services, she had known almost nothing about pancreatic cancer. Learning more about the disease made Kate realise just how fortunate she had been. Her cancer had been discovered before it had spread - something she describes as being “one in a million”.
If I had worked in a health environment and had no idea about pancreatic cancer, I thought most people out there probably wouldn’t know about it either
One step at a time
After her Whipple procedure in October 2025, she spent almost three days in intensive care and another 12 days in hospital. Recovery was difficult. She had to adjust to smaller meals, begin taking Creon and work with a dietitian while her body struggled to absorb nutrients. She also developed severe anaemia and needed iron infusions and vitamin injections.
“Climbing one flight of stairs would wear me out”. On Christmas Day, less than two months after surgery, she completed her first walking Parkrun. It took her one hour and 20 minutes, and she needed to sit down halfway.
For someone who had been active and fit before surgery, the greatest challenge was losing her strength and independence.
"It's my scar of honour - I used to be embarrassed by it, but now I wear it with pride."
The Whipple procedure left Kate with a large scar across her abdomen. At first, she felt self-conscious and avoided wearing clothes that showed it. Over time, her feelings changed.
When people notice the scar, Kate uses it as an opportunity to explain what happened and start a conversation about pancreatic cancer. It is another way she is turning a difficult experience into something that may help others.
“There needs to be so much more research and funding for pancreatic cancer”
While Kate was recovering in intensive care, a nurse suggested she look at Pankind for information and support. She found the information and resources on the Pankind website extremely helpful throughout her recovery.
Her experience also made her realise how little awareness there is of pancreatic cancer, and that became one of the reasons she chose to fundraise for Pankind at the Gold Coast Marathon.
More than a finish line
Kate knows she was fortunate that her cancer was found early.
She is also conscious that many people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer face a very different outcome.
Her hope is that greater investment in research will lead to earlier detection, better treatments and improved survival.
“We need ways to find it earlier and treat it earlier, so it doesn’t become such a terminal diagnosis for so many people"
For Kate, completing the marathon was not about suggesting that determination alone can overcome pancreatic cancer. It was about celebrating how far she had come, raising awareness and bringing some joy to others along the way.
