My Submission for the Rock ‘N’ Roll Half Marathon

When I signed up for the Rock ‘N’ Roll Half Marathon in May, we could write an entry about why the event was meaningful to us. This is what I wrote, in May 2007, and they put part of this with my photo in the official race program.

Five years ago this month, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. After six months of chemo, including potentially serious lung damage, I went into remission and was cancer free. I was extremely lucky in many ways, not the least of which was that the lung damage, which could have been fatal, was apparently healed.

My experience surviving cancer made me realize a lot of things, including the importance of medical technology. I swore when I was ill that I would use my experience to help others some day. I learned about Team in Training and in 2005 signed up to walk the Midnight Sun Marathon in Anchorage, my first event ever other than a 10K a few months before. Then in 2006, I walked the Rock N Roll in San Diego for the same cause - that race was four years and one day after starting chemo. I am not a great runner, but am a fast walker and enjoy being out there, trying to make a difference. I am not fund raising for this race, but will later in the year for TNT, probably for PF Chang’s in Arizona to celebrate five years in remission the end of this year.

I have wanted to do the Virginia Beach half-marathon for a couple of years. This year especially, now being a five year cancer survivor, I am trying to do a number of events to celebrate surviving lymphoma and chemotherapy, and having good health again, and I really wanted to add this race to this list. Also, I have many friends from TNT doing it. I want to do this race to honor and inspire anyone with cancer. I especially honor three patient honorees from our Richmond team: Nicki, Ed, and Emma. Also, my sister Ann currently has breast cancer, and I want to do anything that I can do to encourage and inspire her to get better.

If, as a cancer survivor who is now also a two-time marathoner, I can in some way inspire someone else who is currently ill to keep their chin up, fight to get better, stay positive, and maybe someday be motivated to do something to make a difference in the world, then I can ask for no better outcome from my experience.