RUNNING BATTLE AGAINST CANCER

Aparna takes part in first race at GEWR after 3 illnesses over 3 decades to inspire

- Deepanraj Ganesan

The battle against cancer is a long and arduous journey. But for Aparna Suri, she has gone through the life-changing struggle not just once, but thrice.

So one can appreciate the housewife's beaming smile of joy and relief at the finish line after completing the 5km race in the intense morning heat at the Great Eastern Women's Run (GEWR) on Oct 27.

It marked a personal triumph for the 50-year-old and a reminder of her strength and determination in dealing with life's hardest hits over almost three decades.

Drenched in sweat but smiling broadly, Aparna said after the race at the Singapore Sports Hub: "It is very inspiring to see so many women running, and it was quite a personal achievement for me, because it's my first run. I hope I can do this in the future, and inspire more women to do this.

"Representing the Singapore Cancer Society (SCS), I feel like it's a great achievement for the survivors, the people who are fighting the battle, and the people who I want to inspire."

Over 12,000 runners turned up for this edition of the GEWR, which raised a record $388,000 to benefit SCS and Daughters Of Tomorrow, a charity that works with underprivileged women.

Indian national Aparna, a Singapore permanent resident, found out she had stage 1 triple-negative breast cancer in 2023. She completed chemotherapy in April and is awaiting a scan in November.