Annie, founder and chair of Can Too Foundation, is an accredited running coach and self-confessed “running addict”. She decided to combine her passion for running and fitness with raising money for a non-profit organization. Annie says, “I liked the idea of raising funds that went to cancer research – and so the money we raise goes toward research, prevention, care and control of cancer through Cure Cancer Australia and Cancer Council NSW.”
A decent runner in high school, Annie started distance running 25 years ago and continued running through the full-term of the pregnancies of her sons – now 23, 25 and 27. “Running keeps me sane – I absolutely could not live without it,” said Annie, who runs up to 50 kilometres a week.
She didn’t feel the same about swimming and realised she was going to have to face her fear and compete in her first ocean swim. “The liberation I felt was quite astounding. The first swim I completed I felt like I had won the Olympics” she said. “I understand the power of the journey and the elation our people feel when they have moved beyond their comfort zone to achieve their goals.”
Visit Annie at: www.cantoo.org.au/about/annies-bio