Cancer-surviving teacher's Movember mission

By Winston Davey

A year ago, Sam Daly was battling stage 2 testicular cancer. Now he is in remission and using his voice and legs to raise money for men’s health.

For every $50 donated in the month of Movember he is running 1km, with the goal of reaching 60km for the 60 men who die every hour across the world from suicide.

Daly, 34, is now a teacher at St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School in Strowan and has been running through Bottle Lake Forest with his dog Odie.

He says after his own cancer experience he is “determined” to raise awareness of the disease, which is the most common cancer in men aged 15-45. He says he is in a “unique position, where I can share such an experience”.

Daly was diagnosed with testicular cancer in July last year.

Two weeks later he had surgery to remove his testicle which was successful, but the cancer spread to his vascular system.

He then had three courses of chemotherapy over nine weeks, which consisted of being hooked up to a chemotherapy drip every day for six hours straight some weeks. 

“To say it was brutal would be an understatement,” said Daly.

He was always fatigued to the point he could barely spend time with his wife Katie, 39, and two children, Alina, 6, and Lachlan, 2. 

Daly was studying during his cancer battle and says the financial stress was hard.

His wife Katie had a supportive work place but Daly says “we had to jump through so many hoops and still we only just made it through”.

He said the long-term effects are “quite a challenge” as he gets random nausea and still has high levels of fatigue.

“It would be a miracle if I’m up after 9pm” he said. 

The biggest long term effect is the mental game, he said.

“Every time I feel any pain or discomfort or even just something weird, my brain will jump straight to the cancer is back. 

“Every time I get a check-up scan, I go through the worst case scenario in my head. All this really takes its toll on my overall mental health.”

He says he was “extremely lucky” to have a positive outcome and to have caught the cancer early.

“The scary part is the speed that testicular cancer spreads is so fast that a few weeks later it could’ve been caught too late.” 

Being a teacher is one of the reasons why he is partaking in Movember. He wants to help other men to be “vigilant and check on those around you”.

Daly said he chose to run because his “normally bushy beard and moustache” has not grown back as well as before his treatment and running was “something healthy” he could do to promote men’s health. 

Daly has so far raised more than $720. You can support Daly here.