JANA Pittman wants to lift the cloud on what has been secret women’s business for so long. The Olympian and dual world 400-metre hurdles champion wants to get people – men and women – talking about cervical cancer.
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Gynaecology, in particular cervical cancer awareness, has become a passion for Pittman both as a medical student and from her very personal experience.
Pittman was diagnosed with cervical dysplasia, a pre-cancerous condition with abnormal cell growth, not long after competing in the 2014 Sochi Olympics. It is now something she must keep watch on, because cancer can develop if the abnormal cells become infected and mutate.
Initially, Pittman said she was scared out her wits, confronted with the possibility of cancer. But she also had the study background to understand what the doctors were talking about.
“This is one of those scenarios where we did catch it. I’m a future doctor and I want to promote awareness,” Pittman said. “There are a lot of cancers out there you can’t always prevent...cervical cancer is one you can prevent and detect early with regular (pap) smears.”
Pittman was in town this week for the Ballarat Sportsmen’s Club Christmas Dinner to talk about her sporting career, in which she became the first Australian woman to compete in a Summer and Winter Olympic Games. She did so by swapping spikes for the two-women bobsleigh in Sochi.
When Pittman drove past the athletics track at Llanberris on her way into Ballarat, she felt a bit emotional, thinking back on fond memories training and competing there.
Athletics has been the love of her life the past 20 years.
Now aged 34, Pittman’s other great loves are her children and medicine.
Her profile allows Pittman to draw awareness to issues like cervical cancer. Pittman is involved with the Australian Cervical Cancer Foundation Ambassador, Go for Gynae and Australia New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group’s ‘save the box’ campaign.
Pittman toyed with training for Rio and, as much as she wanted to compete, said it was time for a new generation of emerging athletes to experience the Olympics.
In the fourth year of a medical degree and keen to try for a third baby (she is now heavily pregnant), Pittman had other passions to pursue. She made the decision while witnessing a cesarean surgery: “I was in a magical moment”.
- More information on cervical cancer: accf.org.au