Paralympian's cancer battle 'IT HELPS TO FEEL LESS ALONE'

After beating leukaemia, Lili-Fox is focused on giving back

- Words: Sharon Stephenson.

She may not have brought home a medal from the Paralympic Games in Paris last year, but Lili-Fox Mason is a champion when it comes to beating the odds.

The 20-year-old has not only overcome leukaemia - and a disability caused by cancer treatment - to become a full-time athlete, but she's also helping other children with their cancer journeys.

Earlier this year, she spent a week volunteering at Camp Quality in Christchurch, one of five camps around Aotearoa that provide recreational activities for more than 300 youngsters suffering from cancer. It's the same camp she attended for seven consecutive years after being diagnosed with leukaemia as a three-year-old.

"Having been through cancer and attended Camp Quality, I know how important it is for kids to be in a friendly environment where they feel safe and comfortable, and aren't defined by their cancer, but can just be themselves with no judgement," she says.

"I wanted to give back to the community because my companion at camp had helped me so much over the years." The nonprofit organisation, which turns 40 this year, pairs individual campers with a companion who helps them get ready each morning, joins them in arts and crafts, and accompanies them on activities, such as helicopter rides.