Over the past decade, Andrew Loadsman has raised more than $100,000 through Cancer Council NSW’s 7 Bridges Walk, but the reason he keeps returning each year isn’t the fundraising milestone. It began more than 20 years ago, when his wife Venessa was diagnosed with breast cancer while the couple were raising their young family.
Andrew still remembers the day his wife Venessa asked him to sit down and revealed her cancer diagnosis to him.
“I came home from work one day and she asked me to sit down. She showed me a pregnancy test, and then at the same time she said she’d found a lump,” Andrew recalls.
Their daughter was 16 months old at the time, and the experience shook their family unit to its core. “It was horrible. It was traumatic and stressful,” said Andrew.
“It’s all encompassing. As a father with a young child, a wife going through treatment and trying to keep working, it affects every part of your life.”
Turning adversity into action
Venessa underwent treatment for breast cancer, including a mastectomy and chemotherapy. Once treatment was behind them, the family had an opportunity for a fresh start.
After Venessa completed her treatment, Andrew was offered a job in New York and the young family packed up and made the move overseas to the Big Apple. This was the moment that inspired them to fundraise for cancer.
“Venessa started organising fundraising events and doing breast cancer awareness work. We also did the Avon Walk in New York, which is a major breast cancer fundraising walk over two days,” said Andrew.
Why 7 Bridges Walk became their cause
Once the young family returned to Australia, Cancer Council’s 7 Bridges Walk felt like the most natural cause to get behind given their history of physical challenges helping fund the fight against cancer.
“We’d done the Avon Walk in New York and 7 Bridges Walk felt familiar. One of the bridges is quite close to our house, so it was an easy event for us to get involved in,” Andrew says.
“We started out focused on breast cancer, but we’d had so many family members and friends touched by different types of cancer. My dad had prostate cancer, we’ve lost relatives, and even now I’ve got friends dealing with cancer treatment.”
More than $100,000 raised, one walk at a time
“When Venessa was fundraising, she struggled to raise money because she was really just asking a handful of friends to support her,” Andrew says.
“Because of the professional networks I’d built through work, I realised it was a bit easier for me to ask people for donations.”
“Every year I wonder whether I should do it again. Then I think, well, just by getting up and asking people for support, I can raise money that makes a difference.”
Walking for the people who matter most
For Andrew, 7 Bridges Walk is also an opportunity to honour the people whose lives have been impacted by cancer.
As one of 7 Bridges Walk’s top fundraisers, Andrew has had the opportunity to name bridges along the route in honour of people affected by cancer. Over the years, he has dedicated bridges to family members, friends and supporters, including his father, relatives, a colleague’s daughter and leading cancer researcher Professor Richard Scolyer.
“I’ve named bridges after my dad, after friends and relatives, and after people who’ve lost loved ones to cancer,” he says.
One dedication stands out more than any other.
“Last year was the 20-year anniversary of Venessa’s diagnosis and I managed to get the Harbour Bridge. Venessa’s the only person I’ve named a bridge after who’s still alive, but I thought I’d give her the best bridge.”
Andrew says the event remains a meaningful way to remember those affected by cancer while helping ensure others receive the support they need in the future.
“It’s challenging, but it’s not too difficult. Most people can do it, it’s very social, and it’s a really good event for groups of people,” he says.
“More importantly, it helps support a cause that touches just about everybody in some way.”
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