There were a few reasons Queensland colleagues and close friends Kate and Mary decided to go on MKR.
Aside from being big foodies whose friendship began when they bonded over a meal in the lunch room more than 10 years ago, it was their shared philosophy – that life is short and you should make the most of it while you can – that persuaded them to sign up.
“I think it has to do with our work,” Kate, 38, tells TV WEEK.
“Mary and I work as radiation therapists with cancer patients. We have the philosophy that you only live once and life can be short.”
“We have the philosophy that you only live once and life can be short.”
(Image: Instagram)“I also spent quite a bit of time in hospital last year, and Mary worked through the pandemic, so we thought we’d give it a go.”
For Kate, this meant leaving her wife Kristen with their six-month-old daughter Mia. While she was hesitant at first, Kristen encouraged her.
“I didn’t know if it was the right time to go on a TV show and gallivant around the country,” Kate explains.
“But Kristen said, ‘You’ll be great and you’ll make Mia proud.’ She’s my greatest supporter – I call her ‘The Pusher’, because she always encourages and pushes me to try things.”
When Kate was pregnant with Mia, she was on mandated bed rest in hospital, allowed out of bed only to shower and use the bathroom.
“Believe it or not, it was one of the most interesting, life-affirming experiences I’ve ever had,” she says.
“I knew that if I didn’t do it, the consequences could be really, really horrible. It was one of those tests in life where you see what you’re made of.
“Something changed me when I was lying in that bed. Now, I’m not scared of giving anything a go.”
