I’m Sonya Lovell and I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017 at 47 years of age, as a result I experienced a medically induced menopause (thanks chemo), and was left to figure out how to manage my symptoms and declining quality of life on my own. It took me over six years, largely without support, to join all of the dots, research and experiment with lifestyle changes and find a supportive and empathetic GP.

Now I use that experience on stages, in parliament and in rooms where decisions get made, to close a gap in care that shouldn’t exist.

I've now spent more than 15 years in women's health and fitness and co-authored research on menopause depression published in the ANZ Journal of Psychiatry. I produced and hosted one of Australia’s first menopause focused podcasts and presented my lived experience testimony at the Australian Senate Inquiry into Perimenopause and Menopause.