SOUL SISTERS WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE STATISTICS

Best friends Jackie and Becki are fighting colon cancer together

- Cloe Willetts

Waikato besties Jackie Robertson and Becki Ross always have plenty to chat about on the phone most days. Both are single mums and career women in their forties, who love being physically active. They're witty, determined and optimistic - and they also have stage four colon cancer.

"When Bex and I were diagnosed, we were both such fit, strong, active women, so it was a real shock," says Jackie, 46, a mum to 12-year-old Zac, who is nonverbal autistic.

"But I totally believe in the power of the mind and the minute you give in to something, you accept it. I told Bex, 'We're not going to be a statistic!"

The duo first met through the rowing community in 2010, however, it wasn't until a mutual friend of Becki mentioned Jackie was also going through colon cancer treatment that they reconnected in January.

"I reached out to Jackie and we've been in touch almost daily since," says Becki, 43, who's a mum to Maddi, 16, and Jackson, 15.

"We're bright and bubbly, and laugh about a lot, but deep down, we're terrified of the unknown. It's a really scary situation at our age and being on our own with children. We can share our fears and know the other gets it"

Part of the pair's struggle is the gruelling chemotherapy, which causes side effects including exhaustion, thinning hair, sore cracked lips, mouth ulcers and headaches. Jackie is four rounds ahead of Becki and prepares her friend for what's ahead.

"We laugh about how chemo is the gift that keeps on giving," jokes Jackie, ex-wife of Olympic rower Eric Murray.

"I've run marathons and been wiped at the end, but the fatigue you get from chemo is another level! When we have down days, we can vent to each other." Pre-diagnosis, sporty Becki was head of PE at a private school in Hamilton for six years, while Jackie was running 16km every day and working as a product manager.

Both women had to leave the jobs they enjoyed because of the unpredictability of cancer and chemo.