Inspector Amy Scott, the police officer who confronted the Bondi Junction attacker in 2024, has spoken publicly for the first time about her breast cancer diagnosis and the difficult treatment that followed.
Scott revealed she is now cancer-free, following a year of treatment.
In an interview with 7NEWS, the much-loved officer spoke about the meaning of bravery, revealing that her cancer battle gave her a new understanding of what it means to be brave.
“I think a lot of people threw out the word brave after Bondi, but if I can be extremely honest, when I was diagnosed with cancer, it really gave me an understanding of what brave is,” Scott said.
Her treatment included a frightening Christmas last year, when an infection and reaction to chemotherapy left her in intensive care.
“Over Christmas last year, I got really sick during my treatment. I had an infection, I reacted to a chemotherapy and I was in ICU. It was a little bit touch and go for a while,” she revealed.
Scott spent Christmas Day alone, with her family deciding to shield her two young sons, then aged four and five, from the worst of her illness.
“We elected not to let the boys see me because we have, at the time, a five and a four-year-old and I was trying to shield them from as much sadness and pain that we possibly could.”
The Cessnock-born officer also revealed she had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) just eight months before the Bondi Junction attack in April 2024.
She believes her experience helped her get through that day, when she confronted and stopped the attacker.
“That’s probably what helped me get through Bondi, barely by the skin of my teeth, don’t get me wrong. It was very difficult to be a mum, to be a wife, to be everything in that space,” she said.
Scott also spoke about the courage shown by members of the public who intervened during the attack.
“It just showed me that people still really do care,” she said.
Speaking at a Kindness Factory dinner, Scott was praised by lifelong friend and organisation founder Kath Koschel, who said kindness had always been part of her character.
“She’s been an inspirational figure in my life, but, you know, for me it’s always been that kindness has been part of her DNA,” Koschel said.
For Scott, the experience has strengthened her belief that people can make life easier for others through simple acts of compassion.
“Sometimes there are challenges in our lives that we found really difficult. It doesn’t need to be difficult for the next person. Kindness trumps everything. Definitely kindness trumps everything,” she said.
She said she also tries to lead by example in her work and everyday life.
“I’m really just trying to set a good example. Leading from the front, being visible, showing people how to behave to others through my own actions. Is that perfect every day? No,” she said.
Image: 7News
