Elle Macpherson declined chemotherapy for cancer after overcoming her fears during her sobriety journey.

Elle Macpherson has faced numerous fears and challenges throughout her life, including a breast cancer diagnosis in 2017 and maintaining her sobriety for over two decades. Despite these obstacles, she has shown remarkable resilience in her journey.

Macpherson, known as "The Body," wrote on Instagram on Sunday that she has discovered the most powerful and fulfilling path is to surrender to the natural flow of life while maintaining focus on her intentions to be happy, prosperous, and fulfilled, regardless of the material form her life takes.

In her upcoming memoir "Elle," Macpherson reveals her personal struggles, including her seven-year-old breast cancer diagnosis.

"Macpherson shared with Women's Weekly that the experience was unexpected, confusing, and daunting in many ways. However, it gave her an opportunity to discover her inner strength and find a solution that worked for her. She realized that she needed her own truth and belief system to support her through it."

Macpherson chose to follow an "intuitive, heart-led, holistic approach" despite her doctor's recommendations, which ultimately resulted in her gaining self-trust.

"The exercise of being true to myself, trusting myself, and trusting the nature of my body and the course of action I had chosen was a wonderful experience," she stated.

"I stopped drinking in 2003 because I felt I couldn’t be fully present in my life, and it was a wonderful springboard of getting to know myself on a deeper level." — Elle Macpherson

Macpherson, who has sons Flynn and Cy with ex-partner Arki Busson, relied on integrative medicine, alternative therapies, and lifestyle changes. She visited an osteopath, chiropractor, holistic dentist, and two therapists.

"I realized that there were no guarantees and no definitive answers. There was no one-size-fits-all solution, only the solution that worked best for me," she wrote in her book, as quoted in Women's Weekly. "I opted for a holistic approach. Rejecting conventional medical treatments was the most challenging decision I've ever made. However, rejecting my own intuition would have been even more difficult."

"Sometimes, making a choice from the heart may not make sense to others, but it doesn't have to. People thought I was crazy, but I knew I had to make a choice that truly resonated with me. To me, that meant addressing both emotional and physical factors associated with breast cancer. It took courage to reflect deeply on my feelings and make a decision that aligned with my values."

This wasn't the only battle Macpherson was facing.

Kate Ritchi, a supermodel, has been working on overcoming her fear of being her true self for 21 years through sobriety, as she shared with Nova 96.9’s Fitzy & Wippa.

"Being sober has been the foundation of my life, as it has allowed me to stay sober and make positive changes in my life."

In a 2023 interview with Australian magazine Body + Soul, Macpherson revealed her reasons for wanting to abstain from alcohol.

"I stopped drinking in 2003 because I felt I couldn’t be fully present in my life, and it was a wonderful springboard of getting to know myself on a deeper level," she said. "I believe that everyone has their own journey and I don’t want to impose my opinions on others, but I can say that this decision has been one of the best I’ve ever made."

"It's challenging to be fully present and healthy in life if you're not present and healthy, and alcohol doesn't aid in that."

Nearly 800,000 fans on Instagram were informed about Macpherson's major accomplishment last year.

Maya Angelou wrote, 'This is a wonderful day. I've never seen this one before.' In the caption, she shared a photo of an AA chip celebrating 20 years of recovery. Alan Watts said, 'The meaning of happiness consists in three elements — freedom, gratitude, and the sense of wonder. Life is not a problem to be solved, but an experience to be had.'

Throughout her career, Macpherson has challenged societal beauty standards by using a different mindset.

Macpherson, the founder of WelleCo, stated to Body + Soul that she used to believe beauty was linked to youth, but as she grew older and gained more experience, she realized that wellness is more closely associated with beauty.

"She stated that the second part of the concept is that wellness encompasses physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental well-being, and that they are all interconnected. Macpherson emphasized that this was the most significant revelation, as it means that they cannot be separated and must be balanced together. It took her a considerable amount of time to understand this."

Macpherson, who is currently in remission, is dedicating most of her energy to assisting others with the release of her new book.

"She explained to Women's Weekly that her goal was not to give advice to others, but rather to share her own experiences and encourage others to follow their heart and take risks. She emphasized that this applies to both big and small decisions, not just in times of crisis."

Using your heart as a compass in life involves slowing down, getting quiet, and feeling what truly resonates with you without being influenced by others' opinions. It's essential to tune out the distractions of the outside world and listen to your inner voice.

Planet Chronicle Digital's Caroline Thayer contributed to this report.