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Fighting back from breast cancer

Jacqueline Windh / 31.01.2009

Sara Jones, a firefighter from Norfolk, West Virginia, was first diagnosed with breast cancer at age 27. Because of the extremely aggressive nature of her cancer, she had both breasts, along with additional cartilage and other tissue in her chest region, removed. However, at age 33 the cancer was back - this time embedded in some of her scar tissue. Not only did she have to undergo more surgery and more chemo, this time she almost died from a post-surgery infection. Sara, now 36, was forced to take permanent disability retirement last June. So much of her chest region has been surgically removed, especially where the ribs protect her heart, that it is deemed too risky for her to do hard physical work such as firefighting.

“It feels like your feet are just clipped out from under you,� she says. I was a fire-fighter for nine years, and I had two businesses which I had to sell. It’s like not having an identity any more. I’m having to reinvent myself.� Although Sara is healthy at the moment, she is still on chemotherapy, and will be for another two years.

Sara is Project Athena’s second grant recipient. This charitable foundation, founded by some of the US’s top female athletes (who have themselves all survived serious medical set-backs), provides “athenaships� to women who are facing medical challenges, to allow them to achieve their athletic dreams. Project Athena is paying all of Sara’s costs to participate in The Coastal Challenge, and are providing moral support, coaching and comraderie along the way.

Founding member Robyn Benincasa, one of the world’s top adventure racers, says that Sara has told her that this grant could not have come at a better time. “She was really feeling down, depresses, and wondering what to do with her life, and this grant gave her some direction,� Robyn says. “That’s the kind of stuff we love hearing.�

All of Project Athena’s public fund-raising goes towards supporting the grant recipients. “We have our corporate sponsors, Merrell, Zanfel, Wigwam and Sole,� says Robyn, “and they cover all of the costs for our founding members to attend events. Of the funds we raise publicly, 100% of them go to our grant recipients.�

Along with Robyn will be founding members Melissa Cleary and Florence Debout, as well as fund-raising “goddesses� Jonea Mounsey and Masha Glanville, who are down here at their own expense to raise money for the foundation.

Sara is both excited and nervous about the 6 days ahead. “I’ve done sports all my life, but I’m not a big runner. I only started training for this in December.� She is still figuring it all out. “I don’t know what my body can do now. It’s kind of a rebirth.�

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