Kellie Finlayson shares ‘reality’ of how she spent Melbourne Cup during her bowel and lung cancer battle

by

Kellie Finlayson shared how she enjoyed the Melbourne Cup while undergoing treatment for advanced lung and bowel cancer.

A 29-year-old wife and girlfriend of an Australian Football League player shared a video on Instagram Tuesday showing what her day was like while getting treatment at a hospital.

Kellie was happily dancing to Taylor Swift’s song, “The Fate of Ophelia,” in her bedroom, and she put on a long, blue dress.

Okay, so this is something I’ve seen with a lot of my clients – even when life throws a huge curveball, like starting chemo, it doesn’t always mean stopping everything you love. I actually had a client who, incredibly, continued to dance – yes, dance – even after arriving at the hospital and having a port put in for her chemotherapy. It just shows you how powerful finding joy in movement can be, even during tough times. It’s about adapting, not stopping.

She jokingly shared that her experience of Melbourne Cup Day was a far cry from what people might imagine, especially for someone in their twenties, adding, ‘Wild!’

Many of her followers flocked to the comments to praise her bravery.

People were amazed by her positive attitude during chemotherapy, with one asking how she managed to stay so upbeat and another calling her an inspiration with a beautiful smile.

‘Amazing it cannot be easy but you’re giving it everything,’ a third commented.

Someone praised her, saying, “You’re such a strong role model for your daughter – never playing the victim, always a fighter!”

It comes after Kellie recently revealed the emotional challenges of dealing with her diagnosis.

Jeremy Finlayson’s wife is bravely fighting stage four cancer that has spread to her bowel and lungs. She recently had surgery on her chest as part of her treatment.

She received her initial bowel cancer diagnosis in 2021. The following year, she shared that the cancer had spread to her lungs.

Earlier this year, Kellie appeared on the Jess Rowe Big Talk Show podcast to discuss her new memoir, ‘There Must Be More.’ She shared that she’s doing well and feeling positive despite her diagnosis.

Jess asked Kellie to explain what she meant by ‘thriving,’ and Kellie responded that it was simply a matter of shifting her perspective.

‘It completely comes from mindset,’ she said.

She explained that her days still felt familiar, and maybe even more vibrant now, though she admitted it was hard to put into words.

I transformed a very difficult experience into something amazing, meaningful, and full of purpose.

Kellie explained that a difficult part of having cancer is how it can take away a person’s sense of control over their own life.

After a diagnosis, it often feels like you’re given very limited options. It’s usually presented as: undergo treatment with difficult side effects, or face a potentially fatal outcome. Those are often the only two choices people feel they have,” she explained.

Kellie explained that she still had a choice in how she dealt with the disease emotionally – how she chose to approach it mentally and emotionally.

Looking back, I realize my only real power in that situation was choosing how I reacted. It was about deciding whether to just take the hit – to let it feel like a personal attack – or to respond differently. It’s a lesson I’ve learned: you can’t always control what happens to you, but you absolutely control how you handle it.

‘I got on with life and did the things I could do to make each day okay, initially, and now great.’

I was so worried when Kellie shared that she’d had a procedure on her lungs back in March. It turned out she had something removed using a technique called VATS – I learned it stands for Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery. Basically, it’s a less invasive kind of surgery where they use small incisions, which is a relief to hear!

She shared that doctors had removed cancerous tissue from her lungs. This happened after the cancer had spread from its original location to form new tumors.

Kellie and Jeremy got married in March 2023 in a small, private ceremony at Tennyson Beach in South Australia.

They share daughter Sophia, who was born in 2021, just months before Kellie was first diagnosed.

Read More

2025-11-06 00:19