The kindness of strangers has always amazed me. I have always seen the world through a positive lens and have tried hard to see the best in others. While I haven’t been able to maintain that positive outlook over the past couple of years it is quickly coming back to me. Now, in my mission to support other cancer patients, I am finding so many examples of kindness.

First and foremost, there are the people donating to my mission. Obviously, I am well aware of the kindness and generosity of my family and friends- they are incredible people and that is why they are in my life! But it is also eye opening to see the willingness of people to support and encourage, even when they have never met me. Both in this fundraising campaign and in my previous partnership with Team in Training, I have had multiple people donate that were either friends of friends, coworkers of family, or complete strangers who happened to see my story on social media- people who I had never met. It is truly amazing. There is also someone who continues to give anonymously. I send a personal thank you to everyone that donates to my cause and I would just like to point out that even if you do not receive a thank you (possibly because I don’t know who you are), I am so incredibly grateful! 

Another example is the powerful emotional support that I have received. I do realize that not everyone has the funds or the desire to donate and I completely respect that. What does brighten my soul is the fact that many of those who cannot donate send me messages of encouragement and share my story to help spread the word of my mission. While the financial means bring me closer to my Team in Training goal, it is truly the love and assurance from my community that bolster my resolve and help me continue my journey on days when I otherwise couldn’t do it on my own. Not to mention the friendly, well-timed cancer jokes that keep me laughing when I would rather cry- I really, really appreciate those!

The support from my athletic community has also been beyond anything I could have asked for. Many days I have barely enough energy to move but I always have people who are willing to alter their plans to assist. Instead of the 10-mile run, maybe we walk a couple. When I can’t run up a mountain there are always people willing to walk with me. Even when I am feeling up to things but don’t achieve my goals, I constantly have partners willing to share their stories of missed goals and days of disappointment. Connecting with a bigger community reminds me why I am doing all of this and why I can’t give up. 

Kindness is the most incredible aspect of the human spirit, in my opinion. It is the part of the soul that lights the eyes and facilitates community. Without the kindness of others the struggles of life would be so much more difficult. I am blessed to have such kindness and love in my life and truly wish that for everyone. There is nothing like the biggest challenge of your life to bring out the kindness of others!

Many people that visit this page will already know my story- thank you to all my supportive friends and family! But I think the best place to start is with the basics.

Two years ago I was diagnosed with Polycythemia Vera. This is a type of Myeloproliferative Neoplasm (MPN), often times referred to as a cancer of the blood, and sometimes lumped in with leukemia. While this was devestating news, it was a condition with relatively little complications. I carried on and continued trying to train as an endurance athlete, something I had prided myself in being. 

A little over a year later I was given shocking news- my condition had progressed faster than expected and I now had a condition called Myelofibrosis. Suddenly everything changed. My prognosis was now being given in months, not years. I was suddenly being told to "take it easy" and "enjoy the small things", or perhaps even most devestating for any athlete was hearing "maybe you should start considering a new normal"- meaning, maybe you can't continue to do some of the activities that have meant so much to you.

Of course, the last year since my diagnosis has been a difficult one. My friends and family can bare testament to the fact that the several months following this new diagnosis were painful. I quite literally fell apart. Usually a cheerful, positive person, I found myself crying all of the time and not wanting to wake up to face the day. I started to dread every day that I had to live with this new normal. Fortunately, with the support of the wonderful people in my life, I slowly started to pick myself up and put my life back together.

I started training again. I got professional help to process through my grief. I somehow began to remember that my self worth was not wrapped up in this diagnosis or my ability to be physically active. And, with the help of incredible friends, I resumed traveling, surfing, and running again. In November, I completed the NYC marathon with my friend, and athletic hero, Kelly and we were able to raise $5000 for LLS!! I suddenly remembered that life is not just about me and my suffering, it is so, so much more.

Now I set my sights on Everest. This has always been a dream of mine but one that, now given my prognosis, has found its way to the top of my list of things to accomplish. I am hoping to raise money and awareness to fight leukemia. Obviously some of my intentions are selfish- I would like to eventually be cured- but more than that, I wish for no one to ever have to experience the devastation of a cancer diagnosis or fear that their life is somehow less valuable or completely over. I will continue to push myself to the limit for as long as possible in hopes that cancer will be eradicated for others. I hope that you will join me, either on Everest or in the trenches!