For avid runner, Brendan, looking after his mental health and body through running was a daily routine.

But when he was struggling to complete his normal running regime and feeling tired and exhausted, he decided to see a GP.

After being turned away twice and told it was nothing to be concerned about, Brendan listened to his body and sought a second opinion and was diagnosed with stage 2 bowel cancer aged 38.

Diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer and HER2 gene mutation at 35, Pei, (a GP registrar) chats with Stephanie regarding the importance of GP’s treating the patient in front of them without age bias.

Pei talks about her realistic and pragmatic approach to living her life with a terminal illness and how her love of the outdoors keeps her focused on the 'now'.

'I live my life in 9-week cycles – scan to scan – but I am always trying to focus on making the most of the present.'

Pei’s dual role as both patient and health professional provides a unique perspective.

TV writer and director, Darren Ashton, discusses with Stephanie how his stage 3 bowel cancer diagnosis informed the tone of the hit ABC show, 'Austin'.

'When you're knocking on deaths door, you think about the important things. I wanted to put something joyous into the world and this is why “Austin” became a positive show.'

In this frank chat Darren talks about the importance of a good support network and the benefit of shared experience and how connecting with others going through a similar experience can help you navigate the big C.

Palliative Care doctor and author of, 'With the End in Mind', Kathryn Mannix demystifies the often uncomfortable topic of death and dying.

Chatting with Stephanie, Kathryn reminds us that we often fear death because of the unknown; that death is not what is portrayed in Hollywood movies and that we have forgotten about the process of 'ordinary dying'.

Drawing on her decades of experience, Kathryn provides practical tips as well as some tools to be able to navigate the process of death and dying.

On this episode, Dr Sarah Chu and early-onset bowel cancer survivor Vanessa Mendico discuss the importance of age not being a barrier to a bowel cancer diagnosis.

To address perceived age bias as outlined in recent research, Bowel Cancer Australia has launched a new resource, the Never2Young CPD series.

Featuring virtual clinics, these educational modules are aimed at helping GP’s identify bowel cancer red flag signs and symptoms in younger patients and assist with the diagnosis and referral pathway.

Dr Sarah Chu talks about the importance of GP’s having a good relationship and listening to their patients and knowing them when they are well.

“As GP’s we care about people. We want to make a difference. We want a patient’s health span to match their life span with the best quality of life.”

Stephanie chats with Ogilvy Group Creative Director, Nina East, Director, Eddy Bell and bowel cancer survivor, Kin Leong about the creation of Bowel Cancer Australia's latest awareness campaign, "Australia's Deadliest".

They discuss the brief, the process, and the final result in developing an advertising campaign that resonates with the target audience and delivers on the key message that you are never too young for bowel cancer.

This engaging chat highlights the importance of the authentic patient voice and demonstrates how through collaboration and professional respect the campaign was able to be elevated at every level.

Jake talks to Stephanie about how his life was tipped on its head after his stage 4 diagnosis at 31 and how he had to re-frame his dreams and life plan, including starting a family.

Upbeat and one to always try and find a silver lining, Jake discusses the importance of letting go of the things you can’t control and maintaining a positive approach despite the tougher moments.

Passionate about raising awareness, Jake talks about the joy of 'finding your tribe' and how engaging with other bowel cancer patients has been a wonderful upside to his cancer diagnosis.

On this episode Stephanie talks to Genetic Counsellor, Alisha, who demystifies the dynamic world of genetics and the implications for cancer patients.

Alisha discusses the importance of knowing your family health history, how to access genetic testing, and the relevant questions to ask when faced with a possible bowel cancer genetic condition.