At 51, Monique Bareham is described as a ‘powerhouse’ lymphoedema advocate, yet thirteen years ago her world was shattered by a cancer diagnosis. Like many who endure cancer treatment, she was left with lymphoedema. Her symptoms were immediate and severe enough to end her career. Realising South Australia was the only state without a compression garment subsidy scheme and limited public clinics, Monique set about righting this wrong. She became President of the Lymphoedema Association SA Inc., and established connections with the Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer and the Flinders Lymphoedema Clinical Research Unit. Monique’s tireless lobbying and advocacy led to the launch of a South Australian Lymphoedema Compression Garment Subsidy Scheme in July 2020. In 2022 Monique was awarded the title of 2022 Australian of the Year, South Australian Local Hero and the prestigious 2022 Joy Noble Medal. Monique remains a dedicated volunteer advocate and peer support for individuals affected by lymphoedema and cancer survivors. She regularly participates in research projects and co-authored ‘What about us? The patient perspective’ published in the Journal of Lymphoedema, 2020, Vol 15, No 1. She holds a Graduate Diploma in Education and a Bachelor of Music (Performance) and enjoyed careers in Education and the Public Sector (management) prior to her cancer. Monique is a sitting member of the SA Health Lymphoedema Compression Garment Subsidy Scheme Advisory Group. Currently Monique is focussed on advocating for a nationally consistent approach to the management of lymphoedema to ensure equitable, affordable access to lymphoedema care for all Australians affected by this condition. Specifically, Monique is calling for the establishment of National Lymphoedema Clinical Guidelines and a Register to record lymphoedema incidence rates.