“Keep yourself healthy. Give yourself a chance.” 

A planner by nature, retired IT project manager Leeanne Hart knows how to work towards a goal. So, when a difficult year left her in need of a jumpstart, Leeanne crafted two challenges for herself: one mental and one physical.

Leeanne understands that having a rare disease will present her with countless challenges. Her journey to a LAM diagnosis was guided by her general practitioner. Dr. Damian Gilbert pursued her post-menopausal night sweats with a series of tests and scans. The results revealed cysts in her lungs and a growth in her abdomen. When compared to older imaging, the cysts were visible six or seven years earlier, finally giving Leanne the explanation she never expected: sporadic lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM). The diagnosis was overwhelming, but it also brought clarity. “At least I knew what I was working with,” she said.

To challenge herself mentally, she began tutoring in Brisbane with University of the 3rd Age (U3A), a nonprofit offering intellectually stimulating activities to seniors. For her body, she committed herself to training for the 20th Australian Masters Games in Canberra, choosing indoor rowing on the Concept2 Rowerg as her event. What began as a challenge quickly became a mission.

For six months, Leeanne trained intensely, supported by a rowing coach to focus on race strategy, technique, strength training, and cardiovascular conditioning. It wasn’t easy with LAM, but she refused to let that stop her.

Her community rallied behind her. Her physio, gym, and podiatrist sponsored her. Her local coffee shop community cheered her on. Even Brisbane Lions coach (from the Australian Football League) Chris Fagan sent her a motivational video to encourage her as race week approached.

When the Masters Games began, Leanne competed in five events over three exhausting days. The effort paid off: she brought home three silver medals, two bronze medals, and several personal bests. In one race, she finished just behind a competitor who broke a Concept 2 world record. “It was fun, invigorating, exhausting, and absolutely worth it,” she said.

After returning home, Leeanne received her annual lung-function assessment, which showed signs of disease progression. She will retest before making decisions about further steps or treatment options.

Leeanne shares this openly because she believes in honesty, strength, and staying connected to the LAM community. She often reminds others that dreams don’t end with diagnosis and that consistency – physical, mental, and emotional – makes all the difference. “Your body will go where your head goes,” she says. “Keep yourself healthy. Give yourself a chance.” 

True to her words, Leeanne is already planning what comes next. She hopes to travel to Alaska to witness the Iditarod, and she intends to compete again in 2026 at the Pan Pacific Masters Games on the Gold Coast.

Leeanne’s journey is a reminder that even with LAM, strength, joy, and possibility are still ahead.