June 2012
44 posts
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Go!
Well, I’m heading to the airport today for my flights to Tanzania! Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has donated to LIVESTRONG on my behalf (over $10,000 raised individually, and $200,000 as a team!); offered me kind messages of support; and kept up with my blog.
I hope to share pictures and stories from the climb with all of you soon. I have no idea what internet access may...
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Ready, Set...
$10,000 fundraising requirement met & exceeded
Thank you cards in mail
Bags (and passport. Yes, I definitely need to remember my passport) packed
Hiking boots placed in carry-on bag
Rent paid
USPS mail held
Immunizations done
Ride to airport secured
Plane itinerary printed and checked in on flights
Malaria medication to be started tonight
Tons of water to continue to be consumed...
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My Itinerary
June 23: Depart USA.
June 24: Arrive at JRO.
June 25: Rest day.
June 26: Drive to Machame trailhead. Five hours of hiking through a temperate rain forest to a small clearing, where we will establish camp at 10,000 feet. June 27: Continue up the ridge with short sections of scrambling. By midday, we will be above tree line and will establish camp at 12,800 feet. June 28: Today, we will head SE...
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21 Photos That Will Restore Your Faith in Humanity →
Because the world can be pretty awesome, right?
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Why I Climb
For my last “Why I Climb” before my trek, I feel like I could continue to talk about my grandmother, my uncle, my aunt, my college mentor, the entire Texas 4000 for Cancer organization, Penn State Dance MaraTHON, Cancer Support Community Central Texas, Go4The Goal Foundation, and any number of incredibly amazing stories that have inspired me to do all I can in the fight against cancer....
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Climb for Cancer: Watch One of My Teammates on TV →
Check out my amazing teammate, Danny Shoemaker, in a local report about our Kilimanjaro climb. Danny has been diligently walking up and down the stairs in his office building to train, proving that even with a busy schedule, he’ll be in top shape for the climb! See you soon, Danny!
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Laughter Really is the Best Medicine →
Haha. After all the packing and prepping for the trip, I lost my mind a little bit earlier this week. But I’m back in a good place now after reading this post. Is it sad, though, that I’m kind of looking forward to smelling terrible and not having to obey normal social cues as I trek to the roof of Africa with my teammates?
…all for a good cause, of course!
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Why You Should Wear Sunscreen →
It first appeared in the clinical medicine section of the New England Journal of Medicine, and has since quickly gone viral around the world. This image shows the scary effects of sun exposure over time. Luckily, this gentleman had no evidence of skin cancer, and is undergoing treatment for his unilateral dermatoheliosis. “The clear message to the rest of the medical community and the world is...
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Why I Climb
Today I climb for my undergraduate advisor and mentor, Dr. David Ebitz. In addition to being an incredibly insightful professor at Penn State, David also helped me figure out what I wanted to do with my life, and ultimately steered me toward graduate school. Without his guidance, I not only would not have gone to the University of Texas at Austin, I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today.
...
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Over $200,000 Raised for LIVESTRONG! →
As we make our final preparations for our trip (most of us head out this Saturday), my Survivor Summit teammates and I are overjoyed to have raised more than $200,000 for cancer programs and services at LIVESTRONG. Thank you to everyone who has supported our cause so far; we hope to share pictures and stories from the summit of Kilimanjaro with you all in the next few weeks!
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It's My Birthday! And I Leave for Tanzania in 6...
Lots of exciting things going on in my life. In addition to it being Father’s Day today, it’s also my 28th birthday! This time next week, I’ll be landing in Tanzania with my sights set on climbing Kilimanjaro. The charity climb is a way to honor new and old friends, family, and loved ones who have faced this disease with courage, strength, and hope. I’m so excited to be a...
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Why I Climb
In honor of Father’s Day coming up tomorrow, I climb for my dad. My dad has lived his life with intensity, loyalty, and passion, and has generously donated to a lot of good causes, too. He also built his own business, never losing sight of building something greater: his family. Family is a really big deal to him. So, this is a shoutout to one of the strongest men I know; thanks for teaching...
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My Reading List for the Kilimanjaro Climb
I have Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Alain de Botton’s The Art of Travel, and Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupery on my reading list for my flights to/from Tanzania and downtime during the climb (for the fleeting moments reserved for when I’m not exhausted). Still need to purchase two of the aforementioned books, though. Any other suggestions for thoughtful, quick,...
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Thanks for the Shoutout on Twitter! →
LIVESTRONG’s twitter feed gives my Survivor Summit teammates and I a shoutout as we get ready to begin the climb up Kilimanjaro next week.
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“The belief that cancer happens for a reason can be an attractive line of...”
– Suleika Jaouad, Life, Interrupted: Feeling Guilty about Cancer
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What's Your Summit? →
Check out some of my Survivor Summit teammates and I in today’s LIVESTRONG blog! Thanks to their stories, I’m inspired, motivated, and ready to climb Kilimanjaro to fight cancer.
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The Woman Who Fought for the Right to Choose Her... →
Today, the New York Times celebrates a pioneer patient who challenged the traditional treatment for breast cancer. Babette Rosmond was a New York City writer and editor who went public with her diagnosis of breast cancer 40 years ago. Rosmond rebelled against the standard one-step radical mastectomy that most doctors performed during that time and demanded a choice in her treatment options. Kudos...
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"How Having Terminal Cancer Has Made Me a Better... →
Last July, Dr. Kate Granger was diagnosed with terminal cancer that had spread throughout her abdomen, liver, and bones. The 29 year old elected to stop treatment and undergo palliative care. Now, with the limited time she has left, she’s written an inspiring diary and has returned to her job as a hospital registrar. She’s also come to the realization of what it takes to be a more...
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This Post Goes out to Some Awesome Sponsors and...
I picked up a cardboard mailing tube yesterday to pack my trekking poles in, which will go inside my gigantic Gregory duffel. The bright red North Face base camp duffel I purchased (with a very generous and kind discount!) from Whole Earth Provision Company is all packed up, too. I also received my light blue Sierra Designs fleece in the mail yesterday—which after a reasonably long day at...
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“We are totally naive and totally audacious. Naive enough to believe we can...”
– Doug Ulman, CEO of LIVESTRONG
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Less Than Two Weeks Left, But I'm Ready to Go Now
Just a little under two weeks…
My $10,000 fundraising goal has been unofficially met, I have my Tanzanian visa, my plane tickets have been bought, and all my gear is packed.
I’m ready to give cancer a big kick in the face with my hiking boots.
Can I go climb Kilimanjaro now?
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Patagonia's "The Cleanest Line" Catches up with... →
Adventure photographer Ben Moon is interviewed by Patagonia’s blog, The Cleanest Line. He discusses his cancer survivorship, saying, “I’m continually inspired by human emotion and how we’re in a constant state of growth and change. I survived colorectal cancer several years ago and that had a profound influence on how I connect with others.” He brings up great points...
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“One way to open your eyes is to ask yourself, ‘What if I had never seen this...”
– Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring, who passed away from breast cancer in 1964
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Why I Climb
Thanks to all my supporters who helped make my climb up Kilimanjaro to fight cancer a reality. Right now, my online fundraising total reads, “$9.934.41,” and there’s a $100 check in the mail that’s going to be a part of that total soon. I can’t wait for the online total to update and reflect this amazing milestone. We made it; I can’t believe it! THANK YOU again...
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Life, Interrupted: Finding My Cancer Style →
One of the things I look forward to is reading Suleika Jaouad’s very honest and beautifully-written blog in the New York Times every week. This week, she talks about losing her hair, and eventually finding a style all her own while in the fight of her life.
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Dam that Cancer a Huge Success →
I love this event, and I was honored to volunteer and be a part of it all. In the link above, Mark Garza of the Flatwater Foundation thanks everyone for their support! I hope to be involved with it again next year.
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Why I Climb
Today I climb for my mom’s family, the MacCoys. June 6, 2012 would have been my grandfather’s (we lovingly called him “Pop Pop”) 100th birthday, and while I didn’t have too long to meet him (he passed away when I was a toddler), I’m thinking of him and his amazing sense of humor today. And according to my Aunt Jean, he really loved watching All in the...
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“The most frustrated I got the whole day was when I would go and I’d look up and...”
– Kyle Maynard, a congenital amputee who was chronicled by ESPN during his summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. He talks about gaining greater perspective as a result of the climb.
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$9,724.41 (+ $100) = So Close!
$9,724.41 raised, with an extra $100 check in the mail = I AM SO CLOSE to REACHING the $10,000 minimum fundraising requirement to climb Kilimanjaro to fight cancer! All my gear is ready to go and I’ve bought my plane tickets. Now it’s time to knock this fundraising goal out once and for all and help survivors and fighters as much as I can. Please donate to the climb, which supports...
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$28 for 28 (Million), for My 28th Birthday
My 28th birthday is coming up in a few weeks, and you’d better believe that it would make me so happy to complete my $10,000 fundraising goal for cancer programs and services at LIVESTRONG. The only gifts I’m thinking about to mark this special day are donations to support this cause.
In honor of my upcoming birthday, please consider donating $28 for the 28 million people around the...
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“I remember thinking that this entire experience was by far the hardest thing I...”
– Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, wrote about climbing Kilimanjaro with his friend Jenn in his book, Delivering Happiness. It had been awhile since I’d read it so I flipped back through the parts where he recounted his experience. In just a few pages he describes the inspiration, preparation, and several...
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Tonight: Dam that Cancer
The Flatwater Foundation’s signature fundraising event, Dam that Cancer, is tonight! It’s a 21-mile stand up paddle board journey that aims to share how important mental health is to overcoming a cancer diagnosis. Money raised support cancer programs and support services for patients and families. This year’s “We Paddle, You Party” celebration starts at Hula Hut at 5 p.m....
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Valuble Lessons Learned
Yesterday, I volunteered at the Texas 4000 for Cancer ATLAS ride, in which the Texas 4000 team invites the public to come out and ride Day 1 of 70 with them from Cedar Park to Lampasas, Texas. It’s a celebration send off, and the next day, the Texas 4000 team heads north to complete the 4,500 miles to Alaska.
I’ve helped out every year at the ride since I actually completed the 4,500...
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Why I Climb
Today is Day 1 (also known as the ATLAS ride) of the Texas 4000 for Cancer ride. This year’s team of University of Texas at Austin students are beginning the journey to ride their bicycles over 4,500 miles to spread hope, knowledge, and charity in the fight against cancer. They begin their arduous ride from Austin, Texas, and end up in Anchorage, Alaska—all riding to fight cancer every...
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$50,000 Donation to LIVESTRONG from Texas 4000 for... →
Way to make me a proud 2009 alum, Texas 4000 riders! Have a great 4,500 mile bike ride and good luck on your journey to Alaska!
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Texas 4000 Riders Leave Today! →
Good luck to the 2012 riders on their amazing 4,500 journey from Austin, Texas to Anchorage, Alaska to spread hope, knowledge, and charity in the fight against cancer! And thanks for your support of LIVESTRONG! See you all tomorrow at the ATLAS ride.
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Celebrating Cancer Survivorship All Week Long
This post is part of MD Anderson’s Survivorship Week series, June 2-9, where the center will transform itself into Survivorship Central in observance of National Survivorship Day. They’ll have an entire week of events and activities. The week starts with Riders for the Cure, a motorcycle rally that will hold its annual Ride for Life on Saturday, June 2. Funds raised from this event...
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Run to Fight →
Ethan Bennett lost his mother, Susan Bennett, to cancer when he was just 17 years old. “I knew I had to do something to change the future,” he writes, “not only the future of myself, but the future of others.” So, he started running. “Running was a way to reflect on life. It allowed me to be free and forget about all the worries and stresses of everyday life. Running...
