Charity run: Kimberley buoyed by support

Organisers Sophie Irving and Leana Buxton are standing behind their friend and breast cancer patient Kimberley Ward. Photo / George Novak

Kimberley Ward was a touch uncomfortable at Tauranga Domain on Saturday - but not for the reasons you might expect.

She was about one month removed from the last of six doses of chemotherapy for breast cancer - which left her in hospital with sepsis and an ear infection - and about a fortnight away from a month's worth of radiotherapy that runs five days a week.

Despite her resistance to various types of anti-nausea medications, Ward was mostly at ease with her position at the 12-hour Breast Cancer Support Service Tauranga Trust fundraising run held in her honour at Tauranga Domain.

The only thing that seemed to be getting to her, aside from the touching support of more than 100 runners including fellow Beyond Personal Training boot camp partners, was that too much of the attention was on her.

As such, she did her best to divert the focus to promoting the support service, and came close to tears when praising the efforts of organisers Dave Jaggs and Sophie Irving, whose boot camps she began attending in November 2012.

"It is an absolutely amazing event and I am still blown away with how many people have come to support the day," she said. "Sophie and Dave did an incredible job organising it, along with other fantastic people from bootcamp.

"Even when the rain came down over the last few hours it didn't dampen anyone's spirit. Everyone joined together to walk the last lap at 8pm.

"I cannot thank people enough for coming along to support the day and also everyone who donated money via the givealittle website.

"Their generosity has definitely helped to raise awareness for the Breast Cancer Support Service Tauranga Trust where a large portion of the funds donated will be going."

The trust connects local survivors of breast cancer with recently diagnosed patients and runs the $200 Club, which can be accessed by women who could benefit from some pampering during treatment.

Ward likely would not take $2 if she thought someone else needed it more, and was doing her best to absolve herself of the burden of taking a large chunk of the money raised for her treatment.

With each competitor paying $20 to take part and $2720 coming from 63 donations online, the day was a huge success.

Donations are still flowing in through the "givealittle" website, with Irving thrilled with how the close-knit community had come together.

"Everyone just wants to get amongst it. Kimberley is in a challenge of her own so we just wanted to challenge ourselves to do something."

Ward is looking forward to nothing more than arriving at the Domain two or three days at week at 6am to continue her assault on the grandstand's steps.

"They make it fun and that's what I love about it," she said.

"People get up at 5am to get here by 6am so I guess they have to. That's not generally your finest hour."

Doctors have given her an 85 per cent chance of survival once treatment is completed.

She likes her chances.