FEATURED COLUMN
Notable Women
By Val

Olivia Newton-John has been in the spotlight for over 30 years. She started acting and singing at a young age. Her role as "Sandy" in Grease in 1978 shot her to superstar status. She still records and her career thrives today. She has won numerous awards for her music, and she was bestowed the Order of the British Empire in 1979. She was inducted into the Australian Music Hall Of Fame in 2002, and she also received a Lifetime Achievement Award. Olivia was also appointed Officer of the Order of Australia by the Queen for her accomplishments and efforts through her charitable causes.

In the midst of her career, Olivia donates much of her time to charitable causes and campaigns close to her heart. She has been donating her time since the beginning. Olivia battled and beat breast cancer in the 1990s, and she has openly spoken about her fight with this disease. She has become an inspiration to even more women with her courage to speak out, and she inspires women currently battling this disease. She wrote of her experiences in her album GAIA, and with her 2005 release of Stronger Than Before, a portion of the proceeds is donated to cancer research. She actively promotes awareness of breast cancer and the importance of early detection. She joined with Austin Health to create the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia; and she created the Olivia Breast Self-Exam Kit to help women with their monthly exams to detect cancer in the early stages.

Olivia has tirelessly devoted herself to her many causes, especially breast cancer research. She is a phenomenal woman striving for the same goal as many: to end breast cancer.