When things got tough on the long-distance Sunshine Walk course, Sam Nusser would turn her mind to her mum.

After being diagnosed with leukaemia last year, and later multiple myeloma, Tricia Patterson has been undergoing treatment at the Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre including regular infusions, painful biopsies and injections every week.

She also started a course of stem cell treatment which meant that she couldn’t join her daughter as planned for the Sunshine Walk.

Although finding the 20km difficult, Mrs Nusser said she wanted to finish as a show of support for her mum.

“When you think you’re feet are sore, it’s nothing what mum’s going through,” she said.

“Everything becomes irrelevant when you think of that. You don’t sweat the small stuff.”

Mrs Nusser created the team “Tricia’s Tribe”, in honour of her mum, and which had more than 30 members.

This included family members who travelled from Geelong, and friends who came as far as Nowra, on the NSW South coast.

Although she couldn’t take part in the long course, Mrs Patterson completed about 2km of the 5km walk, and was there to cheer on her team as they crossed the finish line.

By selling chocolates, holding cake stalls and organising a raffle, Tricia’s Tribe far exceeded their fundraising goal by $2000, raising $4500.