Triathlete races past breast cancer

After nearly every joke and inspirational anecdote Nancy Reinisch told the crowd, they exploded with applause. Valley View Hospital’s lobby was packed to the gills with people, mostly women, who were letting out shrieks and whoops and hollers. Though they were there, ostensibly, to celebrate the release of Reinisch’s new book, “Chemosabee: A Triathlete’s Journey through the First Year of Breast Cancer,” they had truly come to celebrate Reinisch.

“To feel so loved is a wonderful thing,” Reinisch said, after the party.

As one of her readers wrote. ” I love this book! It’s a cross between the New England Journal of Medicine and ESPN Sports Center, with a touch of Oprah!”

While she, of course, downplayed it, not many people have a story quite like hers. A self-described “adult onset athlete,” Reinisch is a triathlete who didn’t start exercising until she was 34. That was 1987, and she’s since completed hundreds of triathlons. When, in 2006, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she tackled it in a fashion that blew people away. She didn’t stop her life, didn’t give up her exercising. Instead, she used it to help her get through that trying time. The book chronicles her experience — one that had obviously touched the entire lobby of women.

“She’s a great lady,” said Melissa Miller, dabbing tears out of her eyes.

As a member of Reinisch’s Roaring Fork Women’s Triathlon Team, Miller was deeply affected by how Reinisch dealt with her illness. For the most part, she explained, Reinisch was her “chipper self” — one who still got up in the dark to train. That created a resolve in Miller. Though she had only done the swimming leg at her first triathlon, after watching Reinisch’s year of cancer, she completed her first, full race.

“She’s definitely an inspiration,” Miller said.

Standing nearby, Elaine Grossman used almost the exact same words. A cancer survivor and a founder of the Quality of Life Cancer Project, Grossman spoke of the “grace” Reinisch brings to her survivorship. Reinisch’s unwavering fortitude gets to Grossman.

“I would say Nancy is a thriver. She’s not (just) a survivor,” Miller said.

As Resa Hayes put it, “If anyone could charge through this, it’s Nancy.”

Full Story: Cancer survivor an inspiration to many

Related Posts: Memoirs of an Ironman

Adam Bender - inspiration goes national

Back in November we published a story on the inspiring young man, Adam Bender.  Adam lost his leg when he was one year old but that has never held him back.  He plays baseball, football, soccer and wrestles.

ESPN writer Jeremy Schaap recently filmed a short story on Adam that airs on E:60.  This is a wonderful piece that all should enjoy.

You can read the text of Jeremy’s story - The Power of One.  A short excerpt of Jeremy’s story is below:

A year ago, when Adam Bender was 7 years old, he found a wheelchair in his family’s garage.

Standing just outside the garage, the door open, he called out to his mother, Michelle. “Mom,” he said, “come here.”

Pointing inside at the rusty, folded-up wheelchair, he said, “What’s that doing here?” Anger was floating in the air.

“That’s here just in case of an emergency,” she said. “We might need it if you hurt your leg.”

“Get it out of here,” Adam said. “Get rid of it.”

“What do you want me to do with it?” Michelle asked.

“I don’t know. Get rid of it. I’m never using it.”

Wayman Tisdale’s battle

Wayman Tisdale lost his leg to cancer.  But through it all he never lost his joy.

A native Oklahoman, Wayman became the first Division-1 athlete to be named All-American in his first three seasons.  An olympic gold medal winner, he enjoyed a 12 year NBA career before pursuing his life-long passion of music.

He became an accomplished Jazz musician and has released several award winning albums.

Enjoy some of Wayman’s music below:

Brendan Foster - a young hero for all

In memory of Brendan Foster, who died November 21, 2008.

Brendan Foster (1997 - 2008) was a victim of leukemia . Before Foster died, he expressed his last few generous wishes. Brendan Foster wanted to feed the hungry and hopeless. Foster’s wish became known and motivated lots of people to donate food to the poor. Then Foster wanted to save the bees. At his funeral packets of wildflower seeds were distributed for people to scatter. The wild flowers, when grown, would provide bees with nectar.

10,000th wish is on Parade

The Make-A-Wish Foundation and national sponsors International Union, UAW and General Motors Corporation are celebrating a momentous wish milestone this month – granting the 10,000th wish of their decade-long partnership.

To mark this achievement, the 10,000th wish recipient, Brandon, 10, of Rodney, Mich., and his family will ride on UAW-GM’s float in America’s Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27.

“Thanks to their tremendous generosity during the past decade, UAW-GM and GM have made a real difference for the 10,000 children nationwide whose wishes have been granted and countless others who were a part of their wishes,” said David Williams, Make-A-Wish Foundation of America president and chief executive officer. “I want to express our gratitude for their commitment to children such as Brandon in helping make their heartfelt wishes come true.”

Brandon, who was diagnosed with Burkitt’s lymphoma and recently finished a difficult regime of chemotherapy, met his all-time favorite player, former Detroit Lions star Barry Sanders, during the Lions’ Nov. 9 home game. He was also the team’s guest at practice Nov. 7, where he received armfuls of autographed memorabilia from the Lions and met several current Lions players and coaches.

“My favorite part of the wish was watching Brandon’s face at his first Lions game – he was yelling and cheering, and you could just tell he was loving it,” said Brandon’s mother, Darlene. “Barry was just so nice. He talked with [Brandon and his dad] about hunting and what kinds of things Brandon likes to do for fun. I just sat back, smiling. I couldn’t believe it was happening.”

As part of the sponsorship, UAW-represented GM workers and GM dealers across the country have participated in fundraising on both national and local levels and committed their personal talents to wish granting – restoring vehicles, building playhouses, planning wish-granting parties and giving families a ride to the airport, among other activities.

“Making a commitment to community and these children, both personally and financially, is something that matters tremendously to UAW-GM people and GM dealers across the country,” said Diana Tremblay, vice president labor relations, GM North America.

“For those who have had the opportunity to share the power of a wish®, it’s a moving experience that will never be forgotten,” said Cal Rapson, UAW vice president and director, GM department. “I have heard it said more than once, you truly get back more than what you give, and it’s been our privilege.”

Some wishes granted through the sponsorship have been quite practical, such as an assistance dog or special equipment to help the child communicate or become more mobile. Other children’s imaginations have taken them to the moon and back, such as Johnny, 11, from Downey, Calif., who visited Kennedy Space Center and had lunch with an astronaut. The first wish granted in 1999 was to refurbish a Chevy truck for a 16-year-old Aliquippa, Pa., boy.

9 year old is Health Hero of 2008

Winter Vinecki, a nine-year-old girl who honored her father’s fight against prostate cancer by helping to raise more than $100,000 for Athletes for a Cure and the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), has been named a WebMD 2008 Health Hero. She is featured in the November/December print edition of WebMD and on the publication’s online site.

Prostate Cancer Foundation
Dan Zenka, APR
Vice President, Communications
310.570.4714 (Direct)
310.903.1112 (Mobile)
dzenka@pcf.org

Hope’s Wish becomes a movie

The most any of us can wish for is to leave this world a better place for our having been in it. Soon the world will know how 12-year-old Hope Stout left this world a better place when she died of cancer in 2003. Her inspirational story is the subject of a feature-length film to be shot in the Charlotte region during December and January.

The cameras will start rolling at Bank of America Stadium during the Panther’s home game Dec. 8. Hundreds of local crew members will be hired, including some who will film Charlotte streetscapes for the movie’s holiday segments. Filming will be on hiatus over the holidays and resume in mid-January when the more dramatic segments will be shot. Pre-production, which has begun, editing and finishing all will be done in Charlotte. Joanne Hock, co-founder of Charlotte-based Emulsion Arts, has written the original script. The cast, including some well-known stars, will be announced in a few weeks.

When Rick Eldridge, president and CEO of The Film Foundry, a Charlotte-based film production company, and head of Independent Producers Alliance (IPA), moved back to Charlotte 13 years ago, he was determined to help build the regional industry and support local film community any way he could.

“Although I can’t shoot every film here, I try to as much as possible,” Eldridge said. His current release “Running the Sahara,” which he co-produced with Matt Damon, was filmed in Africa. “However, this is very much a Charlotte story. The people of Charlotte who rallied around Hope and her wish are the same people who have rallied around the film. And the movie will let the world know how thousands of people were touched by Hope’s wish that Charlotte’s Make-A-Wish Foundation grant the wishes of all 155 of the other terminally ill children on its list.”

Beth Petty, director of the Charlotte Regional Film Commission, said that Charlotte has all the locations and talent needed for this project. Petty leveraged those assets to recruit movies, such as “The Patriot,” “Talladega Nights” and “Leatherheads,” among others.

“We are very appreciative of Rick Eldridge, Bert Hesse, Joanne Hock and all the other film industry professionals who have chosen to call Charlotte home,” Petty said.

Executive producer Bert Hesse of Charlotte-based film production company Synthetic Fur, has been working closely with Hope’s parents, Stuart and Shelby Stout, for the past three years to bring Hope’s story to the big screen. He and Eldridge are committed to using the film as a vehicle to expand Hope’s dream of fulfilling other children’s wishes through the Make-a-Wish Foundation and the family’s non-profit, the March Forth with Hope Foundation.

The producers also are working closely with Carolinas Medical Center to shoot on the floor on which Hope died. Since that floor is being renovated, filming would not disrupt patient care. The Charlotte production companies are partnering with Dean River, a production company based in Los Angeles with which Eldridge worked on “The Ultimate Gift,” to produce the film.

20th Century Fox is handling the theatrical and DVD releases. PorchLight Entertainment will be the international distributor. The producers say they plan to release Hope’s Wish in time for the 2009 holidays.

Young fighter battles cancer to the end with Bernard Hopkins

You won’t find Shaun Negler’s name in the FightFax database, the official record-keeping service of professional boxing.

There are no tapes of any of his memorable wins or stories of epic triumphs left behind. That’s because they don’t exist. He was robbed of a career in the sport he loved.

But none other than Bernard Hopkins, one of the greatest fighters of this or any generation, will tell you that he hasn’t met a tougher, or more courageous, fighter than Shaun Negler.

The improbable friendship between the long-time middleweight champion and the 18-year-old who worshipped him officially ended at 12:15 p.m. EDT on Oct. 23, 2008, when Negler could fight no more and succumbed to a 2½ year battle with cancer.

But Hopkins, who first met Negler in 2006 when he learned that the then-16-year-old had a deadly form of cancer, isn’t ready to accept that his friend is gone.

“This kid’s soul is still with us,” said Hopkins, who served as a pall bearer at Negler’s funeral in Philadelphia on Oct. 29. “His spirit lives inside of me and inside a lot of the people I met over these last couple of years.”

Hopkins said that for as much as he may have given to Shaun and the Neglers, he received much more in return.

“This was a kid who had every reason to feel sorry for himself, who had every reason to give up, and he never once would give in and he never once looked at the dark side of anything,” Hopkins said. “He looked at death and said, ‘I want to live. And I’m going to make the most of what I have.’ And that’s what we have to do while we’re here on this Earth. Take what you have and do the best you can with it. Look at what this kid was dealt and look what he did with it.

Read the entire article on Yahoo Sports - Hopkins and an even tougher fighter

Yahoo Sports

Colorado woman honored as ‘Everyday Hero’

Being an everyday hero rarely gets a lot of recognition, but Tuesday one was honored by the Lion’s Club. This year’s Hometown Hero is Diana Lee who started “Look Good Feel Better,” 15 years ago. The volunteer program has helped more than 700 women struggling with cancer to feel better about themselves.  She provides them with everything from wigs to make-up.In addition to paying tribute to the Hometown Hero, the Lions Club gives $1,000 to charity on her behalf.

See the Video: Diana Lee - Look Good Feel Better

Stroke, Back or Brain – More Evidence on the Benefits of Exercise

Medically speaking it was a good week for the proponents of exercise.  At the same time that Ali Vincent has become the new spokeswoman for 24 hour fitness, five studies have been released within the last several days highlighting the benefits of exercise.

Proper exercise and physical activity can speed up recovery from back surgery, lessen stroke severity, reduce uterine cancer risk, as well as reverse mental decline in older adults.

Here are the results:

• Dr. Lars-Henrik Krarup, from Copenhagen University Hospital, and colleagues looked at 265 people who had suffered a first stroke. “Subjects with the best outcome were up to 2 hours more physically active than the most sedentary subjects on a daily basis,” he added. “The activities included not only specific exercises but also physical work in the garden and heavy housework,” emphasizing that physical activity can be incorporated into daily routines.

• Dr. Alpa V. Patel and colleagues at the American Cancer Society in Atlanta identified 466 women who developed endometrial cancer between 1992 and 2003 among approximately 43,000 older “postmenopausal” women. Questionnaire responses showed that physically active women engaged primarily in low- to moderate-intensity activities, such as walking, biking, aerobics or dancing, equivalent to about 2 hours of moderately paced walking per week.

• Prof. Art Kramer, of the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois, says there is substantial evidence showing the benefits of aerobic exercise and physical activity on such executive-control brain functions as task coordination, planning, goal maintenance, working memory and the ability to switch task.  Some studies found that six months of aerobic exercise reversed age-related decline and that older adults’ brains retained plasticity — the capacity to grow and develop.

• Exercise therapy after surgery for a slipped disc may help people get over their pain and disability more quickly, a research review suggests.   And there was no evidence that rehab raised the risk of repeat surgery.

Related Links and information:

• Physical Activity May Lessen Stroke Severity (Reuters Health)
• Exercise May Cut Uterine Cancer Risk in Heavy Women (Reuters Health)
• Aerobics Can Reverse Mental Decline in Older Adults (HealthDay)
• Exercise After Back Surgery May Speed Recovery (Reuters Health)
• Strength Training Good for the Aging Brain (Reuters Health)

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