Farmer News
1 July, 2026
Firefighter finds a way to do it all
KAY Antony is not one to shy away from hard work or a challenge – nor is she one to sit back and let others do the work when her community needs help.
A local firefighter at Cashmore Fire Brigade, Kay has found the perfect balance between volunteering, juggling two jobs and finding time for extra-curricular activities.
For nearly 30 years she has embedded herself in the Portland community, living on a dairy farm, being a part of the local run club and running a short-stay accommodation business.
On top of that, for the last 10 years, Kay has been involved with both the CFA and VICSES.
She is the prime example of how a passion for community, leisure, and purpose can lead you to things you enjoy most.
“The brigade wasn’t too far from our farm, and because I was already a member of VICSES and enjoying it so much, I thought I’d go check out the CFA,” Kay said.
“I like it for the social side. They are a great bunch of people, and I love turning up to build those connections, learn new skills and help people in the community where I can.
“As I’m self-employed, I can fit my volunteering and hobbies into my lifestyle quite well.”
Kay describes herself as an ordinary, everyday member of the brigade who has enjoyed making new friends and responding to local call outs.
“I’m not involved in the management group of the brigade, and in given time I might put my hand up to do other roles, but at this stage, I’m happy doing what I’m doing,” Kay said
“I think it just shows that you can juggle a few things and they all work in well together and align with all your different interests. You don’t have to go to training every week if you can’t get there, they understand, you can just attend the following week when you’re available.”
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Kay said she was always encouraging others around her to get involved where they can.
Now semi-retired, Kay looks forward to having more time to jump on strike teams in years to come, having not been out on a deployment since the 2019 Gippsland summer bushfires.
At the age 53, Kay’s aerobic fitness has played a large role in her volunteerism, and it all stems from her passion for running marathons.
Having already competed in Tokyo and Boston this year, she has her eyes set on three more – adding to her grand tally of 16, including four ultra-marathons.
“I’ll be running the Gold Coast Marathon at the start of July with my son, and it will be his first one, then I’ll head to Sydney in August, another world major and then the local Three Bays Portland marathon at the end of the year,” Kay said.
“I was lucky enough to be selected in the Tokyo ballot, which can be hard as an Australian, so I made the most of the opportunity and travelled over there for three weeks solo.
“The Boston marathon was probably my favourite. It is so iconic. We all piled into yellow school buses to get to the start line, and people lined the streets cheering our names for the entire run.”
Kay said while she does have aerobic fitness, she feels she probably lacks upper body strength.
“But at Cashmore we’re all a team and we all bring different strengths and abilities which is great.”