For 13 years, the Olivia Newton-John Walk for Wellness has raised millions for cancer care. So how will the mission continue as the final walk approaches?
Olivia Newton-John’s Walk for Wellness is set to reach the finish line next weekend, but her husband has confirmed the event will not mark the end of the couple’s shared mission to help people living with cancer.
The annual fundraising walk, which has been running since 2013, will be held for the final time on Sunday, October 4, with Newton-John’s family expected to be among those taking part.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Final Olivia Newton-John wellness walk approaches
John Easterling has revealed there are already plans in the works to continue Newton-John’s legacy, telling Sunrise there has been “a little too much emphasis” on the event being the last.
“It’s not the last event. There’s more stuff coming. I’m not at liberty to share what that is,” he teased.
Easterling said the new initiatives would include “some very compelling and appealing things to be part of” that would align with Newton-John’s passions.
“I think it would be very much in alignment with Olivia’s spirit, especially her spirit for nature,” he said.
The final walk is expected to be bigger than ever, with tens of thousands of people having taken part in the event over the years.
Easterling said the impact of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre remained one of the most important parts of the couple’s work.
Through programs like acupuncture, oncological massage, art therapy, music therapy and exercise physiology, the centre supports thousands of patients daily.
“What I enjoy doing is just being out on the walk and stopping and letting people walk by, and people invariably come up to me and really give me the experience that they’ve had at the wellness centre,” he said.
Newton-John died in August 2022 , four years after the first Walk for Wellness was held.
Asked how he continues to keep her memory alive, Easterling said her legacy remains deeply personal.
“Her memory just lives on. It’s nothing I have to try to ignite,” he said.
5News aggregated this summary from the outlet’s public feed. The full article, with all the context, is on 7news.com.au — the content belongs to 7NEWS Australia.
