Tēnā Koe Anne, growing up in Whakatāne and Gisborne and coming from a large whānau have you felt these aspects of you upbringing shaped who you are and what you do? Tēnā whakamōhio mai ki a tatou, ko wai a Anne Thorp?
It’s been 50 years plus since my whanau moved from Whakatane to Gisborne. I loved the move. My parents scored a place at the beach and it made all the difference to me. I loved ‘hiding’ in the dunes and escaping the din of the whānau. I became a nurse when I left school and loved looking after people and seeing them recover from sickness and transitioning to a state of good health.
Gisborne was a beautiful place to live, sunshine surf and happiness in my mid-teens. I soon went to work at a hotel, Sandown Park Motor Hotel where my dad was Bar Manager and my mother was a housemaid/waitress, so I worked in both departments, starting out my career in hospitality. It was the norm in those days to go to Australia and work six months of the year. I trained professionally in hospitality at The Hilton Hotel in Melbourne eventually becoming a Restaurant Manager in their main dining room. I would stay for a while, return to Gisborne and work, then return to Ozzie into the same role. If you were a good worker, you always had a job to go back to. In those days you could keep your taxes from both countries if you worked less than 6 months in each place. My brothers eventually all settled and thrived there from the 70’s and all still live there today. They are Mozzies!
You are a professional chef, and have your own show KAI ORA on Maori television, how essential is kai for hauora or wellbeing?
I was diagnosed with breast cancer (BC) in 1999 and knew before then the importance of a well-balanced and healthy diet. I had just done the Sandra Cabot Liver Cleansing Diet so I was well prepared for my journey ahead. A 5 cm lump was detected not by mammogram but by feel. I actually had had a mammogram about a month before. What it told me was that not all tumours are picked up by mammogram. When I started my KAIORA cooking series in 2001 my shows reflected my style of kai and cooking healthily. Filming the shows in the comfort of my own homes in Pakiri and Auckland was fun. The highlight for me was the beautiful Māori guests I had on the shows who would ‘sing for their supper’, in return for eating my healthy kai and chatting about our/their lives on screen. Everyone loved the shows!
Anne, I understand you do some really important mahi around breast cancer awareness. Can you please share how you came to be a Breast Cancer Society Ambassador?
I was asked by the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation to become an ambassador. I was perfect for them because I had survived BC and I cooked healthy. I think it’s well over 15 years since I became an ambassador.
I loved speaking on behalf of the foundation and making women (and men) aware of the necessity of keeping an eye on bumps and lumps in the breasts and doing something about it. Good kai is important to our wellbeing and recovery from BC.
My book KAI ORA, FRESH HEALTHY FOOD MADE WITH AROHA was endorsed by my surgical oncologist – Trevor Smith, who is now retired. He says, ‘I have realised that Annes style of food preparation encompasses many of the principles that are now considered to be essential for healthy eating. I suspect that this has played a part in her recovery from BC’, my book was published in 2009.
Are there any key messages about breast cancer awareness you would like to share?
In my book, The World Cancer Research Fund WCRF makes the following recommendations for cancer prevention also applicable to BC:
Providing an excellent and practical basis for healthy life style changes.
Be as lean as possible without being underweight. Obesity is a major health problem
Be active for at least 30 minutes a day
Avoid surgery drinks
Eat more of a variety of veggies fruits whole grains and pulses such as beans
Limit consumption of red meats and avoid processed kai and meats
Limit alcoholic drinks, 2 glasses for men 1 for women.
Avoid using supplements
Do not smoke
As for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, check your boobs, have regular mammograms as early detection saves lives!
With those recommendations, it looks like you not only champion the breast cancer awareness cause, but you are a public health champion too! Thank you for taking the time to kōrero with us Anne.
