"For me I had to stay focused on what the specialist was saying and try to take in as much of the information as he was giving me otherwise I think I would have broken down."
Tomorrow she is competing in the 50km multisport race of the 3D Rotorua Off-Road Winter Multisport Festival.
It is a long way from the pain she has suffered of another kind. Steel has endured a left-side mastectomy, reconstruction, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
"I'm currently on hormone therapy, with only one year to go," she said with a smile.
Battling cancer has been a rollercoaster journey in all ways imaginable.
"I was young, fit, healthy, ate well and generally looked after myself. So to go from being fit and healthy to barely being able to get out of bed some days after chemotherapy was hard," said Steel, who now works as a technical administrator.
One of the hardest times was the five weeks of radiation therapy in Hamilton which required her to be away from home during the week.
"I had two active young children [6 and 4 at the time] and they didn't really understand what was going on and that was hard on them and me.
"I was lucky that I had extremely loving and supportive family and friends to help me through.
"One of the hardest days I experienced was when my then 6-year-old daughter asked me if she was going to get breast cancer too."
But Steel has shown huge resilience to get back to her best.
The first two years after her diagnosis were spent concentrating on getting through treatment and getting better again.
The past three years have been about getting used to her "new normal" and getting back into life in a positive way.
Many cancer sufferers say that when they overcome the Big C it is like getting a second chance and Steel shares that point of view.
"Definitely, I want to live a full life. Life has so much to offer and it's a shame that it takes a serious illness to see that. My priorities have changed, I made positive changes and I've experienced life in a way that I wouldn't have done before cancer."
Before cancer Steel started running when she was 31, in training for a women's triathlon.
"I loved the triathlon, kept up the training and competed in more, mainly sprint distance, over the next few years."
Her rise was remarkable as she overcame cancer and was selected and competed in the world age-group sprint triathlon champs in Australia in 2009.
She now loves off-road running has caught the mountain biking bug.
"I am addicted to it now and I have given multisport a go. I haven't looked back."
She said she loves the physical and mental challenge of pushing herself saying "It lets my body know I'm alive."
She wants a high placing in Rotorua: "To go as hard as I can and do the best I can. A top-10 finish in my age group would be great!"
Steel is lining up Monty's Revenge next week and aims to compete in local six-hour races, as well as Motu Challenge, Tois Challenge and The Goat later in the year.
"My main goal is to enjoy myself and if that includes strong finishes then all the better."
From where she has come from just being able to compete is a huge thrill.
And her advice to other people struggling to overcome their own challenges in life?
"One of the best things I read was to live every day, do things that make your heart sing and stuff the housework."
