Five months ago, Lisa Seiffert set sail in her first competitive offshore race.
On November 10, doctors told her she had breast cancer.
Three weeks ago, the 36-year-old went under the knife for the first time, when surgeons were able to remove the tumour before her lymph nodes were reached.
Bouts of radiotherapy, with more rounds to come too.
Seiffert contracted Covid-19 in amongst all this as well, one more complication for the road as she raced toward Boxing Day and 628 nautical miles down the east coast.
The Australian model has now made it to her first Sydney to Hobart, which she’ll sail to raise awareness for the McGrath Foundation as “a better person” for her debilitating, remarkable past few months.
“I’m officially cancer free,” Seiffert told the Herald.
“I had surgery just over three weeks ago. All the doctors and nurses, they knew how important Sydney to Hobart was to me, so we were able to fast track [treatment] after getting diagnosed.
“If the surgery was a week later, I wouldn’t be in the race.
“I’m more up for the challenge than ever after what I’ve just been through. If I can handle that, beat [cancer], then I’m solid.
“It’s also made me a better person, I’m much more grateful for the small things.”
Seiffert’s modelling career has taken her around the globe, landed her front and centre of a Robbie Williams music video and on too many magazine covers to mention.
The past fortnight has had her running around in last-minute preparations for Stefan Racing, which is out to improve on last year’s fourth placing in line place honours.
Lisa’s father, Adrian Seiffert, is a co-owner of the 80-footer and will be aboard when she sails out of the heads.
Lisa Seiffert aboard Stefan Racing.Credit:Flavio Brancaleone
A debut “walk in the park” got Lisa hooked on sailing in this year’s Brisbane to Hamilton Island, prompting further boat training, eventually a role handling Stefan Racing’s hydraulics and now, the rarest of family bonding experiences.
“This is going to be the best experience that I’ve ever had with my dad,” Seiffert said.
“I’ve only been sailing with him since July and I’ve clocked nearly 1000 racing miles with him.
“But this is going to be the ultimate experience, and it’s something that I’ll remember forever.
“There’s no other better bonding than being stuck on the boat in the middle of the ocean and chaos with your dad.”
Chaos could well be in store by late Tuesday as Super Maxis eye the all-time race record of one day, nine hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds (LVC Comanche in 2017) given favourable conditions in the 36 hours or so from setting sail.
That record is tipped to be just out of reach, but the 100-footers will almost certainly clear the worst of conditions predicted to roll in with increasing nor-easterlies on Tuesday night.
Smaller boats in the 109-strong fleet are likely to cop the brunt of the gale-force winds and high seas that follow in the next 24 hours.
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