When Kate Ceberano performed at the Women of Strength luncheon in Toowoomba, it wasn’t just her voice that filled the room. It was her presence — open, raw, human — that left an imprint.

She had dedicated one of her songs to a family member recently diagnosed and facing their own cancer journey. And in doing so, she reminded every person in that room why we’d gathered in the first place: to raise funds and hope for families just like hers, just like ours.

Kate spoke with us backstage before the performance — reflecting on what it means to be a woman of strength, and how she’s learned to navigate her own storms over the years.

“You don't have to be strong all the time,” she said. “But you can find an avenue or a lane in your life that you can take full confidence in and pride… If you get really good at something, then that's powerful. It's really powerful. And then you can lead others. You can influence others and be an example to others.”

This idea — that strength doesn’t mean being good at everything — resonated deeply throughout the event. Strength could look like persistence, or community, or standing up for someone you love. Strength could look like Kate, quietly wiping away tears mid-song and carrying on anyway.

Strength as a cycle, not a trait.

For Kate, strength isn’t about pushing through at all costs. It’s about recognising your limits and staying grounded in the present — especially when life is loud.

“It’s got to be a personal superpower to finish a cycle, and then also to stop everything around you when it’s busy and other people will have needs and demands. But you’ve just got to finish what you’re doing as you’re doing it.”

She spoke honestly about her own mental prep before going on stage — the nerves, the adrenaline, the way pressure can bubble up unexpectedly.

“There are nervous anxieties because the cells in your body and your adrenals don't understand the differences in a gig, from one gig to the next. They just turn on, and they feel like you need to run… I suck and pull in the space until I find a place of my own.”

But through all of it, she returns to the same principle:

“You’ve got to survive yourself, and then come back out the other side and go, well, actually, this is what you're here to do. The service is greater than your internal story.”

Vulnerability isn’t weakness — it’s essential.

Kate knows the weight of expectation — launching young, living publicly, showing up no matter what. But she’s also learned that vulnerability is not something to resist. It’s something to move through.

“Vulnerability can sometimes be another word for lack of experience, and I just don't think the two should be confused… Being vulnerable is essential for actually making it through.”

“You should be exposed. You should feel at risk. You should feel scared… It’s kind of like the only way out is through.”

Her own daughter, she said, is learning this in real time — navigating her path with honesty, tears, and no desire to compare herself to anyone else.

“She's super vulnerable. She's completely awake and available to feeling things. And you know, we will have tears in house, oh, 10 times a day.”

Stronger together.

At the heart of the Women of Strength event was a shared commitment to building something bigger than ourselves — a dedicated Regional Cancer Centre, close to home, so local families don’t have to travel long distances during treatment.

Kate reminded us why this matters. Why stories and songs and moments of reflection help strengthen the foundations of a cause like ours.

Because when someone you love is facing cancer, you need more than medical care. You need community. You need courage. You need strength — not just in yourself, but around you.

And sometimes, you just need to hear the right song.

“She Wolf by David Guetta and Sia,” Kate laughed. “And then… Sweet Disposition. The minute that guitar kicks in, I feel like an air balloon blowing up. And then at one point, it just goes all together. And you're like, yeah!”