Growing up with red hair, blue eyes, pale skin, freckles and living in Queensland I was always cautious of the sun. The caution was not because I linked being sunburnt necessarily with skin cancer, but because I simply knew that getting sunburnt was not fun. Of course, like anyone, there were instances where I did get sunburnt, but this was a rarity. 

In my teenage years, I would start to have skin checks with a dermatologist. They weren’t yearly, but probably every two years. I had a few moles taken off in my teens, but they were all ok. 

You could say that I was very aware of my skin from a young age and we never thought I would be where I am now.