LATEST NEWS: 21 October 2025

Walking at least 10,000 steps – or about 7 km – each day isn’t a chore for 87-year-old grandad Mitch Cook, who’s clocking up the kilometres throughout October to support TROG’s inaugural “Km’s for Cancer Research” challenge.

Mr Cook, from the small town of Mylneford in northern NSW, says the trick is to get going early in the morning.

He’s mown a walking track around the 40-acre property where he’s lived for the past 43 years with his wife Gwen, and he does a lap first thing each morning.

“I have a plan. I get up before everyone, around 6am, and I’ve got my walking buddy, my dog Shadow. I eat an apple as we walk around the property,” he says.

It’s then easy to cover the rest of his 10,000 steps in his activities through the day, he says.

“I walk whether it’s frosty or raining, whatever. I have a big umbrella if needed.”

Having experienced cancer himself, Mr Cook is keen to raise awareness for TROG Cancer Research’s work conducting world-class clinical trials focused on radiation therapy for many different types of cancer.

He was diagnosed with prostate cancer six years ago, which was managed with hormone therapy injections and radiotherapy. He underwent the radiation therapy every weekday for a month in Coffs Harbour, about 100km away from his home.

“I’m very thankful that I had good results and I didn’t need surgery,” he says.” I want to show others that the treatment has been OK, and we’re lucky to have these therapies.”

He undergoes six-monthly monitoring but remains healthy and active following the treatment.

Mr Cook (pictured left with his grandson Keanu and wife Gwen) heard about the kilometres challenge from his granddaughter, Olivia Cook, a Senior Quality Assurance Radiation Therapist with TROG.

He’s among more than 80 people from across Australia and New Zealand who have joined the fundraiser and are walking, running, cycling and swimming as many kilometres as possible throughout October, towards a collective target of 15,560 km. This figure represents the number of incredible people with cancer who have taken part in TROG’s clinical trials over the years.

TROG CEO Ms Susan Goode thanked all who are supporting the Km’s for Cancer Research challenge.

“It is so wonderful to see people from right across the community getting behind our cancer research,” she said. “By being active, the participants in this challenge are not only benefiting their own health, but they are supporting research that is improving treatments and saving the lives of people with cancer, both in Australia and globally.”

Support or join the Km’s for Cancer Research Challenge