Our ambassadors

Josh Emett – Michelin-star Chef

Josh Emett, internationally acclaimed Michelin star chef, is the chef behind Auckland’s Onslow and Waiheke Island’s Oyster Inn.

For 11 years, Emett worked alongside Gordon Ramsay in London, New York and Melbourne, achieving four Michelin stars and an outstanding international reputation. More recently he has become a well-known face on television, as a MasterChef New Zealand judge and a MasterChef Australia celebrity chef. Josh hails from the mighty Waikato.

Josh has a lived experience of melanoma, and his father and wingman Roger passed away on 1st April 2011 one year after having been diagnosed with Stage 1V metastatic melanoma.

My greatest wish, and one close to my heart, is to help Melanoma New Zealand in its charity work and in the prevention of this cancer which claims the lives of many New Zealanders each year.

Read more about how melanoma has affected his family.

Man in grey tshirt
Smiling woman with long blonde hair

Adine Wilson – Former Captain of the Silver Ferns

Adine debuted for the Silver Ferns in 1999 at 20 years of age and became the team’s captain in March 2005. She captained the Silver Ferns from 2005 to 2007, highlighted by captaining the gold medal winning Silver Ferns side that beat Australia at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Born in the Taranaki, she is married to Jeff Wilson, former New Zealand dual rugby and cricket player. The Wilsons have two sons and she is a lawyer by profession.

Adine was a self confessed sun worshipper but got diagnosed with malignant melanoma in 2005. Melanoma is certainly something that Adine has had a very personal experience with and she has shared her story with us to help others gain understanding of what it’s like.

Melanoma New Zealand is dear to Adine’s heart. She supports Melanoma New Zealand because she believes it is a brilliant charity doing a truck load of fantastic work in the community, backed up with extremely passionate people driven to reduce the incidences of unfortunately a far too common cancer, melanoma.

Read more about her story with melanoma.

Martin Guptill and Laura McGoldrick – Former Blackcap and Broadcaster

Husband and wife duo, former Blackcap Martin Guptill and The Hits radio host and Sky broadcaster Laura McGoldrick are passionate about educating as many people as possible about melanoma.

Martin’s beloved father Peter passed away from melanoma in 2017, and Laura lost her cousin Amelia to a rare form of melanoma.

“My family is incredibly important to me, says Laura.  “Amelia and I grew up together and were very close.  She died when she was just 12 years old.  I was 11 when we lost her; my family is so close and tight knit – losing her was just devastating.

“I have my own young children now and knowing the experience Amelia had at such a young age, Guppy and I are both now even more careful about ensuring our children wear hats and sunscreen and cover up when outside. Not only does our family history of melanoma increase our risk, but having sunburn in childhood can lead to melanoma later in life too.”

Martin’s dad died of melanoma in his early 60s, not long after he was diagnosed.  “Dad spent a lot of time outside, and unfortunately, he paid the ultimate price when he got melanoma.  I miss him so much, and that experience, together with being out in the sun all day for my job, has made me acutely aware of being careful with my own skin,” says Martin.

“Dad had the kiwi ‘she’ll be right’ approach to life, and by the time he went to the doctor, it was too late,” he says.

“I was pregnant at the time with Harley,” adds Laura.  “He never got to meet Harley and Teddy and be their granddad.  He would have been a wonderful granddad; we constantly talk about how much he would have loved the kids.

Martin and Laura say they want to raise awareness about how to prevent melanoma and the importance of early detection, so others don’t have to go through what they’ve been through.  “New Zealand has the highest rate of melanoma in the world, and we need to do better, and be better, for ourselves and our kids,” says Laura.

Read more about their story.

Happy couple in formal attire at cricket match