Proud and honored to run for Team Sharsheret
I have a memory from during chemotherapy nearly three years ago of going on a walk to have lunch with a friend. By the time we got to our lunch spot, after thirty minutes, I was out of breath and exhausted. It felt like I had climbed Mt. Everest.
Now, three years later, I am training for my third half marathon. For the type of breast cancer I had, triple negative breast cancer, there is no ongoing treatment, no oral chemo or regular infusion. Instead, a healthy diet and regular exercise is my prescription for maintaining good health. I began running after I finished treatment for breast cancer, slowly working my way from one mile up to 13.1. Running now makes me feel empowered, strong, healthy, and alive. I’ve run 5Ks, 10Ks, a 10 miler, and two half marathons since I finished treatment two-and-a-half years ago, and I am still in awe at my body’s ability to be resilient and come back to a new normal that is even stronger than I was before cancer.
Raising money for Sharsheret is the perfect way for me to honor the work they do with my ongoing survival. Sharsheret was there for me when I was diagnosed, providing me, my family, and my friends with resources and information on being a young Jewish woman with breast cancer. My Jewish identity and my Jewish community are central to my life, and having an organization focused on Jews impacted by breast cancer helped me feel less alone and less scared. I could not be more proud to be part of Team Sharsheret.