LATEST NEWS: 21 October 2026

For Jess Synge, taking part in TROG’s Km’s for Cancer Research challenge is part of a very personal quest to improve cancer outcomes.

Jess, a Sales Account Manager at Elekta in New Zealand, is among the many participants who are walking, running, hiking, cycling and swimming, covering as many kilometres as possible during October to support the TROG challenge.

She says cancer has touched her life in a deeply personal way, shaping her decision to forge a career in radiation oncology and driving her passion to advance cancer care and improve outcomes for all cancer patients.

When she was 15-year-old, Jess faced Hodgkin’s lymphoma, undergoing both chemotherapy and radiation therapy. It was this experience that convinced her to become a radiation therapist, working with patients in a role she loved for 15 years.

“Those years gave me not only clinical expertise but also a profound appreciation for the importance of compassionate care and seamless clinical workflows,” she says.

She then moved to work with radiation medicine technology company Elekta, where she is focused on delivering treatment technologies and oncology information systems to hospitals, cancer centres and clinicians.

“I still work very closely with clinical teams, but I have a different voice,” she says.

“However, I’m very aware that the focus still needs to be on the patient laying on the bed.

“I understand first-hand that the most lasting impression for patients isn’t the machines or technology, but the people. Those who listen, comfort and walk beside them.”

A second cancer diagnosis

At the end of 2024, Jess was diagnosed with breast cancer. Due to her previous cancer history, she elected to undergo a bilateral rather than unilateral mastectomy.

Her recovery has gone well, and Jess says she signed up for the Km’s for Cancer Research Challenge as part of the nine-member Elekta ANZ team to support research that can make a real difference to patients and their families.

The TROG challenge aims to reach a collective goal of 14,000 km and to raise $14,000 throughout October 2026 – to represent the 14,000 Australians who are diagnosed with cancer every month.

“Running is not exactly my strong point…” Jess says. “But cancer research is something I couldn’t be more supportive of. My own cancer journeys have reinforced just how important exercise is, not only through treatment and recovery, but as part of ongoing survivorship.”

Raising awareness

Jess says the TROG challenge is also a great way to raise awareness about the importance of radiation therapy in cancer care, and about how clinical trials and research are key to advancing radiation medicine treatments for patients with many different types of cancer.

“I find it really interesting how few people really know what I do and what radiation medicine is – it blows my mind,” she says.

“If people have heard of it, many still have the narrative that it burns you or does terrible things to you – but we’ve come a long way from that time, thanks to research.”

Main image above: Jess with husband Mat and sons Oliver and Lachlan.

You can donate to support Jess, the Elekta team, and the Km’s for Cancer Research challenge at: Km’s for Cancer Research 2026