Just six months after being diagnosed with breast cancer, Nikki Kaye is back in the political hot seat with a new outlook on life.
The Auckland Central MP, Associate Minister of Education and Minister of Youth used her time away from Parliament to recover and teach herself some skills to help her keep a healthy balance during election year.
The driven 37-year-old, who was just 28 when she became the first National MP to hold the coveted Auckland seat, says her health had become secondary to her career. So she made the most of her time off to teach herself how to cook, garden and look after her body.
“I’m learning to appreciate the simpler things in life. I can do the basics of cooking now and I have become a bit of a health freak. I eat a lot of fruit and veg, drink a lot of water and kombucha and I eat a lot less meat. Every day I think, ‘How am I going to be good to my body today?’
“We all lead these busy lives and we don’t necessarily treasure our greatest asset enough, which is our body.”
She has also vowed to be more mindful with her time.
“Being present is really important,” she says. “My mates and family have said to me that before I was always in a rush and looking at the next thing or the next person I was going to help. I probably didn’t look close enough to home to help the people around me or myself.”
Words: Nicola Russell
For more on Nikki Kaye’s recovery from breast cancer and her plans for the future, see the March issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
