A group of career firefighters has stepped out of the fire halls and into New Zealand’s first female professional firefighters’ calendar to raise vital funds for breast cancer research.
In support of Breast Cancer Cure, 13 career women from nine fire halls in three different cities took part in the Wāhine Toa Firefighter Calendar campaign shoot.
All proceeds from the calendar fundraiser – the first sanctioned by Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s female career firefighters – will be funnelled directly into research for various breast cancer types.
One Kiwi woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every three hours, with an average of two dying each day. A sobering one in nine will be diagnosed with breast cancer, making it the most common among Aotearoa’s wāhine.
Becky Wood, a former Black Fern and professional firefighter of nearly 12 years, told the Herald it was “pretty special to be a part of this one”.
“All of us are just your normal, everyday women and it’s been completely out of our comfort zones to do this,” she said.
“Flora, who was the photographer on the day, did such an amazing job at... calming us all down and trying to put us all in these really powerful poses.”
Having watched her mother undergo intensive breast cancer treatment through the past 18 months, the shoot gave Wood the chance to shine a light on Breast Cancer Awareness Month, running until the end of October.
“As a family member, you’re kind of on the sidelines and you feel pretty helpless in their journey,” Wood explained.
“This is a way that I feel like I can actually do something to help and support.”
Routine testing is one of the most important things women can do. If the calendar encourages some to get a mammogram, then “it’s all worth it”, Wood said.
“It means a lot to help raise money for those causes.”
Only 6.1% of career firefighters are females, so Wood also hoped the calendar highlights New Zealand’s less visible female firefighter force with the profession’s viability as a career path.
“I initially trained as a paramedic at university,” she explained.
“But I knew a few firefighters, and I just thought that it was a little bit more me, like a bit more physical.
“The excitement of the job, it’s something different every day. Your crew become your family and you get to work with your mates ... It’s an awesome job.”
Breast Cancer Cure aim to sell 5000 calendar copies.
“We believe that research developed in NZ will lead to more precise prevention methods, earlier and more accurate diagnosis, tailored therapies and better equitable outcomes,” said chief executive Sonja de Mari.
“The money from campaigns like these brings us one step closer to achieving that and contributing to powerful change in NZ clinical practice.”
A 2024 men’s Kiwi Firefighters Calendar donated proceeds to men’s mental health charity Movember.
The Wāhine Toa Firefighter Calendar is being sold through Breast Cancer Cure from October 29.
Tom Rose is an Auckland-based journalist who covers breaking news, specialising in lifestyle, entertainment and travel. He joined the Herald in 2023.
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