7NEWS presenter Angela Cox takes on 7 Bridges Walk in honour of late mother’s loss to cancer to raise awareness

7NEWS presenter Angela Cox has taken on the 28km 7 Bridges Walk in Sydney in honour of her late mother, who died from cancer.

Cox and her 7NEWS co-host Mark Ferguson stepped out on Sunday morning as ambassadors for the annual event, helping raise money for cancer research and prevention.

“I know that she would get up early and go out and do that bridge walk, and she’d have the most fun doing it and chat to every person along the way,” Cox said, explaining her motivation for joining the walk.

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Cox lost her 71-year-old mother, Larelle, in 2023 after a long battle with cancer.

“She was so incredible. She thought she was invincible and there was no way the cancer was going to get her,” Cox said.

Angela Cox and Mark Ferguson took to the walk as ambassadors for the annual event Credit: 7NEWS

She recalled how her mother had beaten breast cancer after a 15-year battle, but the disease later returned and spread to her brain.

When doctors said she had only weeks or months to live, she survived for another four years, sustained by her positivity and strength.

Cox said her mother’s strength and spirit continue to inspire her.

“I try and let her inspire me with the way she lived and also the way she died, because she died with a hell of a lot of spirit,” she said.

As one of her mother’s primary carers, Cox and her twin sister, older brother and father took turns to look after Larelle — helping her shower, eat and move around the house.

But after her mum slipped and broke her kneecap while Cox was helping her, doctors told the family she needed 24-hour professional care.

7NEWS presenter Angela Cox’s mum, Larelle. Credit: Angela Cox

“It was actually on my watch,” Cox said.

“I still feel guilty about it.”

From then on, Cox and her family’s role became more about emotional support, with daily visits to lift her mum’s spirits.

The experience gave Cox a deep understanding of the challenges faced by carers.

“Watching someone that you love so much suffer so much is really very difficult,” she said.

“I have a lot of empathy for carers now because I didn’t realise how difficult it is. It’s really emotionally difficult.

“We need to be more aware of that and more needs to be done to help carers and to let them know that there’s support.”

Ange Cox with her mum, Larelle, in hospital. Credit: Ange Cox

Cox also encourages people to take action where they can — raising awareness and funds for cancer research.

“To hopefully find vaccines, cures, treatments so people are saved the heartache of what we all know and so many of us are affected by it,” she said.

“I think everyone knows someone or has someone in the family who has at least had cancer. Hopefully they’ve been able to treat it and fight it and beat it because there are a lot of positive cases like that. But there are also a lot of people who have lost people. It’s really difficult.

“That’s why we all have to do something when we can.”

The 7 Bridges Walk is a 28km charity event across Sydney, taking participants over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Pyrmont Bridge, Anzac Bridge, Iron Cove Bridge, Gladesville Bridge, Tarban Creek Bridge, and Fig Tree Bridge to raise funds for cancer research and support services.

Sunday marked the 13th year 7NEWS has supported the 7 Bridges Walk event, encouraging viewers to get involved or donate to the 7NEWS team.