Vale: Janine ‘Neen’ Mladin

5 March 2026

Vale: Janine ‘Neen’ Mladin 

On February 20 Janine Mladin lost a 13-year battle with a brain tumor. Since diagnosis and her first operation in 2012, Janine had battled the condition and been a great inspiration to those around her. Janine was a state level NSW athlete and between brain operations continued to volunteer as a NSW Athletics official, reaching the level of Commonwealth Games official in 2018. 

At her funeral this week, Janine’s mother Pat explained her recent challenging journey:
“The prognosis for this type of tumor is three to five years. But Janine would live on for 13.5 years, enduring five operations, chemotherapy, radiation and had commenced immunotherapy.
“Janine was trying to run away from the tumor and raise money for the Charlie Teo foundation. She ran half marathons in every State and Territory, a few marathons and ultra running races. She also rode a push bike, including from Sydney to Canberra.”

Through the illness, Janine had a group of very close friends that supported her and her family.
Pat recalled one adventure recently. “Nine friends broke into her palliative care ward at Campbelltown Hospital and took her to Wollongong to see a sunrise.”

Her friends spoke about how incredibly positive and an inspiration ‘Neen’ was as she battled the tumor and about her efforts to raise awareness of brain cancer and her fund raising. Also that she was positive and graceful, a role model and an inspiration for many.

A friend Sue said: “With Neen in our space there was always hope and anything was possible.” 
She also spoke about trying to be like Neen:
“Have love, patience and positivity in your heart and a smile on your face and gratitude for your day. We are all better for having her in our lives.
“We all have tears in our hearts; we have lost a truly special friend, daughter, mum, sister, relative, neighbour, champion and inspiration. She was so much to so many.”

One of Janine’s daughters Emily said:
“She fought with courage and grace to be here with us for as long as she could. I am forever grateful she got to see Jess and I grow into the people we are today.”

Emily then read this poem:

Look up to the sky now tell me what you see
The clouds the moon, possibly the sun
When I look up to the sky I will tell you what I see, my mother looking at me
She tells me she didn’t want to leave us, but it was time to depart
It was the hardest thing she had to do and it is breaking her heart
She tells me not to be sad as she is pain free
She has found her place in heaven under the blossom tree
She will always be there to guide us when we feel we have lost the way
She will always be there to comfort us and wipe the tears away 
She will always be there to share our joy and laugh at the jokes we make 
In order to feel her presence if only in our imagination
She maybe in the form of a butterfly, hovering over like a busy bee
You have all come here to say your goodbyes 
but for me if I want to see you all, I have to do is look up to the sky

In 2016, Janine said these words and how true they were as:
“We all should appreciate every day that we have here on earth, because we will all be taken away at some stage of our life. It’s terrible to be told any negative news, so focus on the positives, and hopefully staying fit and healthy, a great way that we all can fight these horrible medical issues!“

19 February 2016

Janine Mladin in her own words in 2016 as she battled a brain tumor 

As a teenager at Camden High Janine Rawnsley was a national level hurdler travelling to Perth and Canberra for the Australian junior and school championships, but she started athletics very young.

“Ever since kindergarten (1982), I have always loved playing sport for school,” Mladin said. “There were two very good years at primary school, when I was able to make it through to State for high jump. So my love of athletics I believe started when I was quite young. In 1989 I joined Little A’s, and I was in the U14 age group. I found it great to be training throughout the week, then competing on Friday nights, and Saturdays. My favourite events then were sprints, hurdles and high jump, however, my jump height somewhat stayed the same as I didn’t continue to grow any taller.” 

She ‘retired’ from athletics early.
“My final year of competing was at Camden Little A’s in 1994.” 
But decades later she would return.
“After having 20 years off I was excited to enter the master’s athletics competition during the 2013/14 season – now I’m in the 35-39 age group. The competitions I have participated in have been fantastic to meet up with many others who had many years off, but are now back into fantastic athletic events. I really enjoy high jump, and I’m looking forward to next season, when my age’s hurdle height reduces and I’ll be right back into those events too.” 

Following her return to competition Mladin also became an official.
“I started out as a volunteer helper, at SOPAC, in Feb/Mar 2014. It was great going to the events, and learning how they take place. It was also great meeting so many officials who have been involved with the running of these events for many, many years. So, over the next few months, I studied for jump and track events, then passed the tests to become an official. I certainly feel that even passing the tests, there are still many tips/things to learn, during the events. At the end of this season, I will have been an official for two years.”

No surprise she was soon helping out in local athletics club administration.
“Camden Little Athletics are one of the biggest clubs in NSW, having just over 650 kids! My two girls were in the U12 and U10, so I became the ‘group leader’ for U10 girls. I have also been part of the club committee for the past two seasons, and this has also been an amazing way to meet up with other wonderful parents, who also volunteer their time to be a part of the committee, running Camden Little A’s for so many families.”  

Her commitment as an official and return to competition means she now juggles the two pursuits.
“Entering events can be a little time consuming, so I try to work it out, where I can still be both a competitor and an official! This weekend, I’ll be a Track Official, and I’ll only compete in one event - the high jump. That’s what I love being able to do.”

Prior to her resumption into athletics Mladin had to battle some serious health issues.
“After having a fantastic, ‘normal’ life, I was diagnosed in May 2012 with having a brain tumor. So I was very fortunate to have been operated on, by the awesome Charlie Teo! He told me that the tumor removed from my left temporal lobe, was 4cm x 4cm x 2cm, and that it was a very small percent of Type 3 cancer. There is a horrible ‘average life span’ of 5-10 years, so my first six months of recovery, was a huge amount of down time! I was only able to walk about 200m, and then I’d have to lay down and rest. Then over the next few months, I increased my walks up to a 3km loop….then resting!” 

Sport became a challenge to resume for Mladin.
“By November 2012, I had felt like this horrible tumor, was somewhat of a ‘slap in the face’ to make me appreciate every day that I’m still here! And that is when I started entering myself into events that I gave myself the challenge of completing. My first would be the 2013 City2Surf. I completed that C2S, and then straight after that, I began competing in master’s athletics state and national events.”

Her goal was to complete in a half marathon in every state/territory of Australia. She would achieve this raising money for Charlie Teo’s Cure Brain Cancer Foundation.
“I had loved doing athletics in the past (20-ish years ago) and to get back into it again, was amazing! So, I certainly appreciate every day that I’m still here, fit and healthy and able to be both a competitor and/or official.”

“We all should appreciate every day that we have here on earth, because we will all be taken away at some stage of our life. It’s terrible to be told any negative news, so focus on the positives, and hopefully staying fit and healthy, a great way that we all can fight these horrible medical issues! I hope that you all have an awesome athletics season - get out there and run/jump/throw the best you can!” 

Post 2016:
When Janine could not work, but she would still go down to Onslow Oval, home of the Camden Athletics Club, and mow the enormous ovals. She had been a committee member of the club.
She had three significant achievements as an official, named NSW Athletics Novice official of the year and appointed to work at the Invictus Games and the 2018 Commonwealth Games. She was also named Camden Sports Person of the Year. 

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW
Image: Janine Mladin officiating (image courtesy of David Tarbotton)