Kiwi Invictus stars 'WE BATTLED CANCER TOGETHER'

Inspirational Christchurch couple Buffy and Alana are going for gold

-  Steve Landells

When married couple Buffy Little and Alana Blackman represent New Zealand together at the Invictus Games, it will be a reminder of how far they have come in their ongoing journey as cancer survivors.

The pair, who serve in the New Zealand Army, have successfully defeated breast cancer three times between them and hope their stories will inspire others facing a similar fight.

“Winning selection for the 2020 Invictus Games gave me the confidence to be able to share my story,” says nursing officer Buffy, 42, explaining how life-changing the Games have been.

Listening to other competitors’ stories at the Games, it dawned on her she was at risk of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“Invictus showed me I hadn’t dealt well enough on the mental health side through my breast cancer journey and the critical incidents I’ve faced in my job. It highlighted a lot of work I had to do, so I started therapy sessions and look after myself more.”

It was around 15 years ago that Buffy first discovered a lump in her breast at just 27 years old. Convincing herself she could feel something similar on the other side, she delayed going to the doctor.