SUPPORT THE ULMAN CANCER FUND

My name is Holly Shoemaker and I am a 9-year Stage III, Malignant Melanoma Survivor. Diagnosed in 2005 at the age of 34, I found myself a late range Young Adult Cancer Survivor* (*defined as diagnosed with cancer between the ages 18-40)  trying to navigate the unknown. The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults has been a part of my life since Spring 2007, as I looked for an organization to help me support and build a "running group" for fellow young adult cancer survivors called the CANCER TO 5K Training Program. In the last 7 years, the Ulman Cancer Fund has helped me turned a good idea into an active program that is having a positive impact on cancer survivors throughout the country.

I have committed myself to joining the Ulman Cancer Fund on their first Mission to Vine event. Mission to Vine is a 7-Day, 700 mile running journey up the coast of California.  The goal of this event? TO GIVE SUPPORT to cancer survivors, TO GET SUPPORT for the Ulman Cancer Fund to continue their programs (Patient Navigation programs, Scholarship programs, CANCER to 5K)  and TO CHANGE LIVES. I hope you will read my story and make a donation and support this event and SUPPORT the ULMAN CANCER FUND FOR YOUNG ADULTS. PLEASE MAKE A DONATION and JOIN ME IN THE FIGHT!

Cancer changes lives....so can WE!

ABOUT ME

I was 34-years old in February 2005 when I was diagnosed with Stage III, Malignant Melanoma. I was in the best shape of my life, working a full time job and training for triathlons and a marathon, when I suddenly found myself facing two rounds of surgery and a year of chemotherapy. I was surrounded with the support and love of family and friends...and yet I felt VERY ALONE. At the time of my diagnosis, I knew very few people my age going through cancer treatment and of the people I had met, very few of them were trying to maintain an active lifestyle through their cancer treatment. There were plenty of resources for what to expect as side effect from chemotherapy but nobody around to guide me on how to continue to swim, bike, run and walk while going through treatment. My Oncology Nurses would shake their head at me when I asked them what my limits were, with regard to working out. My Oncologist (a runner himself) could only tell me " Listen to your body."  It was early spring and when I would have normally been outside training and gearing up for a spring triathlon season, I was stuck in an infusion recliner for 3 hours a day, 5-days a week; staring out the window and daydreaming of the runs and bike rides I was missing out on. My future was uncertain, and I felt very alone. I decided during those first 4-weeks of chemotherapy that I was NOT giving up every race, just because I was going to be on chemo for a year. There had to be a way to balance cancer against the life I already had planned for myself. I was not going to give up my Marine Corps Marathon dream just because I would be in chemotherapy…

I approached my Oncologist and my Triathlon Coach, and the three of us worked collectively to develop a plan that allowed me to complete chemotherapy while training for the marathon. On October 30, 2005, 6-months into my year of chemotherapy and accompanied by two friends who served as my own race day “Sherpas,” I successfully completed the 2005 Marine Corps Marathon using a run/walk interval plan which allowed me to maintain of pace of 14:00 miles, beating the 14th Street Bridge cutoff, for an official finish time of 6:08:09.

That act of defiance, in not giving up my athletic goals in spite of a cancer diagnosis and ongoing treatment, was a true "AH-HA" moment. Both my Oncologist and I had discovered that the training and run/walking has a significant impact in lessoning my side effects from treatment. If being active during Chemotherapy could help me, both physically and emotionally, then I was sure that there were other fellow cancer survivors who might benefit from it too. I was sure I was not the only survivor who was looking for a way to keep active during treatment. This all led to the idea of the CANCER to 5K training program. 

ABOUT CANCER TO 5K:

The CANCER to 5K Training Program was developed as FREE training program for cancer survivors. The program provides training and support to maintain and/or regain fitness, regardless of their current treatment status. Under the guidance of certified running coaches and with the support of a passionate group of volunteer runners (known as SHERPAS), cancer survivors have the opportunity to train to run a 5K road race. The program not only provides free training but it is an unique opportunity to connect with other cancer survivors outside of the typical "support group" setting. The focus is not on traditional cancer support but on empowering survivors to embrace the "new normal" of their lives that is inevitable after a cancer diagnosis. The group training allows survivors to connect on many levels, as new runners, as athletes, and as survivors.

With a grant from the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults, the CANCER to 5K Training Program officially kicked off the first training season in August 2007 (Team CANCER TO 5K NOVA/DC) with 3 cancer survivor participants, Coach Bob Shaver, 10 volunteer SHERPAS and myself as Team Manager. Season by Season, the CT5K NOVA/DC Team continued to grow, helping more and more cancer survivors in the region train and race the 5K distance. The Ulman Cancer Fund has provided financial support for the CANCER to 5K program every year since that first season culminated with it's first race in October 2007.

In 2010, the ULMAN FUND stepped up and began managing the program full time, helping the training program expand to three teams in the DC/MD region. (Team CT5K NOVA/DC, Team CT5K Howard County [HOCO] , and Team CT5K Montgomery Country [MOCO]) The CANCER TO 5K Training Program continues to grow, this year with Teams introduced in CHICAGO and NEW YORK CITY. To date, over 150 cancer survivors have completed the CANCER to 5K training program. None of this would be possible without the support of the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults.

Mission to Vine is 7 day, 700 Mile running journey up the Pacific Coast Highway to support the young adult cancer fight.

The journey brings together a diverse group of individuals to build a community of support for those affected by cancer.  Using running as a platform, Mission to Vine participants come together throughout the journey to share their individual cancer connections and offer as much support to others as they are receiving.

The Mission to Vine journey is more than just a run.  It’s not a race.  It’s not a competition.  It’s an experience that will allow participants to give support and get support in the young adult cancer fight.  The journey will begin at Mission Beach in San Diego, CA and end in the Vines of Sonoma, CA.