Ride up to Buckley to raise funds to buck cancer

SURF Coast resident and former patient of ovarian and uterine cancer, Sally Wilson, is merging two of her great passions together to give back to the community and teach others to ride horses.

On August 1, she will host a day out at her riding school based in Buckley, where friends and family can engage in horse-based activities and competitions in the hopes that it will raise funds for stopping cancer.

It was only recently the Surf Coast resident had the necessary surgery to remove the cancers from her body, but she is ready to give back to the community that gives her so much joy.

“I had my operation in October last year, almost four years to the day that my mother passed away from ovarian cancer,” Ms Wilson said.

“Since then, I have wanted to do something that says thank you to the people that have helped me along the way.”

Ms Wilson’s horseback riding centre is no stranger to providing a fun environment for a good cause, raising around $2,000 after holding a similar event in response to last year’s bushfires that devastated various regional communities.

“This year is more of a gymkhana, or a fete, where everyone can get together and enjoy themselves with the aim of creating a party-like atmosphere,” she said.

According to Ms Wilson’s fundraising page, more than 35,000 Victorians per year will be diagnosed with cancer and only seven out of 10 of those people will survive five years after diagnosis.

All proceeds from the event will go to the Cancer Council of Victoria to be put towards cancer treatments, prevention programs and support services.

For more information about the Horses Birthday fundraiser, you can head to either the Tess & Leo Horsemanship’s social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram, or the centre’s website at tessandleo.com.