A few months ago I participated in the Livestrong Challenge, Portland. This event was larger than any other cancer event I have been a part of and it was amazing! As a survivor, it is hard to go to events until you have come to terms with the word “survivor” and yourself. Meaning, you know in your heart of hearts that you are a survivor and you don’t feel that the cancer can come back. If you have those doubts that the cancer can come back you might, like me, find it hard to call yourself a survivor.
As I wrote my name on the survivor bib, I thought to myself, “Am I?” Am I a survivor if I beat it once, or twice and it comes back? Then what does that make me? Is there another title I can go by? “Hi, my name is Mandy and I was a survivor until I found out the cancer came back, so now I’m a pseudo survivor.” That just doesn’t seem right. So I placed my bib on my back, as did many others thank God, and went to the Nike Campus in Beaverton, Oregon.
The Nike Campus is something of a marvel for those of us who are into sports and an active lifestyle. As my teammates and I showed up for registration we were all in awe of the sheer magnitude of this place. Little did we know that we hadn’t even seen half of the campus yet! Once we got into the Tiger Woods Building, it was a sea of Livestrong yellow, happy volunteers, cancer patients and survivors, caregivers and family; everyone there for the cause. I felt on edge, yet comfortable, relaxed yet emotionally tense.
If you are a survivor and have ever been to an event like this before, you understand the whirlwind of emotions that go through you when you see the sights of thousands of people who share your plight, your history, your disease. Vendors that cater to cancer patients; head wraps were proudly on display in different colors, shapes and sizes, this is not something that you would find at your local mall, but so welcome at an event like this.
One of the things that touches me most about cancer is the children. There was a little boy running around, happy as can be and not a care in the world. The sun shone on his little bald head and he had a survivor bib on his back. It was at that moment, for the first time since I had been there, that I started to tear up, but it went away as soon as he turned around and you could see him smile from ear to ear as he ran over to his mother, giggling the whole time. How can you resist a giggling child?
We continued to walk around the vendor area and the outdoor patio of the Tiger Woods Center. I looked across the soccer field that lay between the Tiger Woods Center and Lance Armstrong’s Building. “Wow, this place is magnificent!” Still, I hadn’t seen it all, and I wouldn’t understand how large a facility it was until the next day.
That night was an uneventful night for us, as our team went back to the hotel and got things ready for the morning. We had dinner and sat and talked for the better part of the evening with a little warm up walk for the next day before we went to bed. When we all woke the next morning we donned our Livestrong t-shirts, walking pants and tennis shoes, we were ready for the day.
When you are at the starting line for an event like this, you think you understand the sheer size of it, but you don’t. You can look around at the few hundred people around you, but it still doesn’t hit you. It was shortly after the National Anthem finished that they let the 100 mile riders go. As we walkers and runners stood on the hill and watched the peleoton start the ride. It was like a swarm of locusts searching for food. They took off in such organized and fluid procession, it was stunning. Then the 70 mile riders, and 40 mile, and finally the 10 mile riders. Now it was our turn.
The entrance to the Nike Campus is two lanes that lead up to a spectacular glass front building with the world’s flags on poles in front. Probably set back from the street by at least a football field, the runners and walkers filled both lanes and then some. It was a sea of people with one common goal, to beat cancer. I finally felt totally relaxed and comfortable.
The walk progressed without a hitch. Survivors, care givers and patients from the local children’s hospital being taxied through the ride, team jerseys of different colors on different people, all with their own story of how cancer has affected them. We crossed the finish line, on the survivor side…because I determined that I am a survivor, no matter what.
My teammates and I all went back to the campus and had a great lunch with wonderful people. There was no rudeness or inconsideration amongst a crowd of three thousand people. This was the first time that I have ever experienced such a thing. We traipsed around the campus taking in the sights and snapping photos of acres and acres of the most pristine “office” I’ve seen.
By the time 12:30 had rolled around, a few hundred of us were all seated on the grass in front of the stage waiting for “the man” to speak. We heard from Doug Ulman, the president of Livestrong and the CEO of Nike, then from a charming man who won the Livestrong award who is currently fighting an aggressive cancer but still remains happy and upbeat. Then Lance Armstrong took the stage, and started off by stating how he isn’t a fan of speaking after such eloquent and touching speakers. We all chuckled.
Lance continued on about his thoughts on cancer, Nike and Livestrong, urging us to stand up and fight for a cure, fight for our elected officials to do their part and make cancer a priority. It was an uplifting speech and one that provided a perfect closure to a great couple of days. On our way out to the parking lot, I quite literally ran into Mr. Doug Ulman, introduced myself and asked how I could help.
So ends the trip to Portland this past weekend, and so begins a new chapter in my life. I have taken on a new project and a new role in life, local leader of a Livestrong Army. So wish me luck on raising awareness, money and support for my fellow cancer survivors!
