BlueskyAs some of you know, over the past few years I have been participating in the Workout to Conquer Cancer, which is a month long fundraiser for BC Cancer in May of each year. I started this in May of 2022 shortly after finishing my own cancer treatment for stage 3 cervical cancer. Unfortunately, cancer has continued to affect many of the people I know and love since then, including close family and friends. Last year my goal was to raise $2,000, to celebrate being 2 years out of cancer treatment. This year my goal is to raise $3,000 to celebrate being 3 years out of treatment, which I pledge to match up to an additional $3,000.
Part of my personal story is that in the in between phase of being diagnosed and starting treatment, I began doing research on what I could do to (a) survive lol, (b) make treatment more tolerable and (c) recover from treatment and prevent the cancer from coming back. One of the key things recommended both in my research and by my treatment team was exercise. I had always been fairly active, but never committed to any sort of organized fitness program that focused on both strength training and cardio. I committed to working out in advance of my treatment to get as healthy as I could, and then committed to staying active as I went through treatment as best as I was able. As I was living in Victoria during treatment, this often included walks to the beach (tough life right?) and walks to my weekly chemotherapy (as I was usually feeling best just before I got my infusion). I incorporated strength training when I was home on weekends and as I was able. I credit this commitment of staying active to making it through treatment and recovering fairly quickly. Ive stayed committed to my (almost) daily workouts since treatment, which started with the Workout to Conquer Cancer in May of 2022 about two weeks after I finished treatment.
One of my hopes for my participation this year is to not only raise funds for BC Cancer, but to also encourage others to commit to working out for 30 minutes for the month of May (and even longer!) Workouts are a broadly defined, and can be anything from going for a 30 minute walk, to crossfit, to a run, to a hike, to a workout class, to a bike etc. I really found that forcing myself to do it for a month helped me incorporate it into my ongoing routine on a long-term basis. I truly believe that prioritizing our health through exercise is the best thing we can do to reduce our risk of major health incidents and make facing any major health incidents more manageable. Ive also found it has helped me immensely in managing the inherent stress of working as a lawyer and being a parent (both of which I love... most of the time haha). My dream is for everyone to take the time they need to focus on their health and wellness and prioritize exercise among other healthy habits.
My challenge for Workout to Conquer Cancer 2025 is this:
For everyone who:
- Joins our Duncan Allen Law team;
- Commits to working out 30 minutes for 30 days; and
- Raises at least $100
I will donate $100 to their page, up to a maximum of $3,000. All funds go to BC Cancer.
Please feel free to encourage your friends and family to join in this as well! You dont have to be an official member of DAL to join! You can join our team here: https://workouttoconquercancer.ca/team/800/220/
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