OrlandoStrides News Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Metro Orlando
October 2017 • Page 1
Olympic Champion Novlene Williams-Mills Participating in Orlando Strides
•
FAS T FAC TS
•
Save the Date
MSABC Inaugural 5K Run and Annual Walk
Saturday, October 28, 2017 at Lake Eola Run: Check-in and registration begin at 6:30am; run begins at 8am Walk: Check-in and registration begin at 7:00am; walk begins at 9am
2017 Goals • $1,000,000
• 1,150 Teams
Sign Up Your Team Run: www.OrlandoStrides5k.com Walk: www.OrlandoStrides.com
Like and Share Us On Facebook facebook.com/OrlandoStrides We are over 5,000 likes!
Tweet With Us @OrlandoStrides
We’re in Winter Park! Orlando’s American Cancer Society Offices are located at:
507 North New York Ave Suite 100 Winter Park, FL 32789
We’re here for you!
Download the American Cancer Society FUNdRaising app to have your Strides fundraising page at your fingertips!
Sprinting to Survive
Every breast cancer patient has a journey. There are some unifiers: the chaos of those immediate days pre- and postdiagnosis when you have so much information coming at you, pondering what this means for your future, and thinking who to tell and when. Do we tell a close few or tell “our world?” But what happens when telling your world means telling the world and your journey includes detours most cannot imagine? These are questions Novlene Williams-Mills had to face. Novlene Williams-Mills is a Jamaican-born, four-time Olympic medaling sprinter who has made her home in the greater Orlando area since 2007. She trained with legendary coaches Tom Jones, at the University of Florida, and Brooks Johnson, at Disney Wide World of Sports. She made her Olympic debut in the 2004 Athens Games, anchoring the Jamaican team, taking bronze in the Women’s 4 × 400 meters. At the 2008 Beijing Games, she anchored the team to a silver medal finish. With the 2012 London games nearing, Novlene had an annual well-woman appointment. “I think I noticed the lump for a while. I would feel it. I mentioned it and the doctor said it’s not big but to be on the safe side he sent me to do a mammogram. He came in and told me they saw the lump. Wasn’t sure it was cancerous as it was so close to my rib cage. He could tell on my face I wasn’t happy, and we had biopsy done to confirm it was cancer for sure.” Novlene Williams-Mills, at 30, had breast cancer. “The funny part about the Olympics, for a second it didn’t hit me. I got the call Monday then flew to Jamaica that Tuesday [to compete in the Olympic trials]. I still went. It still didn’t register. I didn’t tell nobody at that time. I won. It was crazy,“ she said. “Whatever day I got back, I was in the doctor’s office the next day. That’s when I realized this is real and happening, doing the MRI and scheduling surgeries. I lost it when I went outside and called my agent.” Unique to her journey and spirit, Novlene then flew to Paris later that day, winning 2nd in a meet. She worried this was too much and talked to her doctors. With surgery scheduled for three days after the Games, everyone agreed she should go compete and use this as a distraction. Before a race, Novlene does not get too serious or tense. She says hi to competitors who wish each other luck. Once on the track, “it’s all about that lane,” where she focuses and prays right before the start. At London, “It was hard,” she said. “You really want to tell someone. They see a smile on your face and don’t know the pain behind it. The mountain I’m about to face. Mentally getting on that line was hard. Seven other ladies are thinking of winning a race. I’m thinking how many days before surgery.” With her secret known by a select few, Novlene anchored another bronze victory for Jamaica. “While standing on that podium, I did not know if I ran my last race as I was about to face my biggest race,” said Williams-Mills. She had a lumpectomy three days after the Olympics, inconspicuously missing the last races of the season, “for more rest.” The results came back inconclusive and she was urged to have a mastectomy. After discussions with her husband, Jameel, she chose to remove as much of the “what if” and have a double mastectomy with reconstruction. Two weeks post-surgery, doctors still questioned Novlene’s margins. After three surgeries in five months, she was Pink cancer free. (Continued) Premier Sponsor
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Metro Orlando (Continued from page 1)
October 2017 • Page 2
Male Breast Cancer — Keith’s Story
Novlene stopped all training for the 2013 Imagine getting one of the most common diseases in the world, one with tons of season. As an elite athlete, authorized research, support groups and events, none of which are geared to you. Imagine technicians “show up at my house for drug having doctors that have never seen or treated a patient like you. Imagine having a testing randomly. I called them and said look, life-threatening disease while feeling completely removed from it. I can’t control what they give me. A month Keith Lackey, a successful animation technical after, I was writing back to say I have another director of movies and video games, still speaks of surgery and was told to get doctor’s notes. his breast cancer diagnosis with shock in his voice. This is my life. I can’t tiptoe around it. This is “I thought, what are the odds? Like I should play the not like getting a cut. This is cancer. I have to lottery against this.” Male breast cancer odds are 1 in treat it. For me, the thought of Novlene passed 1,000 compared to 1 in 8 for women. The American away because she was more focused on track Cancer Society estimates approximately 2,470 makes no sense. I went to London, put on my new cases of male invasive breast cancer will be shoes, and just ran. After, it was my life.” diagnosed in 2017, with about 460 men dying from Three months after her last surgery, Novlene breast cancer. Men don’t seek treatment quickly; Williams-Mills ran her next race. “After practice, and, therefore, have a higher percentage of death at I was dead tired. Some days the pool was 19% vs. 16% for women. my workout. Some days I couldn’t get out Keith was diagnosed at age 36. “I was getting out of of bed. Some days, I’d run one lap and have the shower and my wife said, ‘your nipple’s backwards!’ I would have never found to go home.” Nine months after returning it, I don’t look down. I was very fortunate that she was able to recognize it.” Keith’s to training, she won gold in the Jamaica nipple was inverting. “I remember as a kid I think I had an inverted nipple which Women’s 400 meters national championship. wasn’t a big deal. But she felt it and didn’t think it seemed normal so I went to my After the race, she lay on the track and cried, primary care doctor. They didn’t know what it was. I was sent for a mammogram, her hands covering her chest, a reflex that which was awkward to say the least.” Keith was ordered to have an ultrasound. women with scars all know. It was then she “She [the technician] left the room and brought back in a doctor who held my told the world. hand, which I thought was strange. I immediately knew something’s happening Novlene ended 2014 ranked Diamond League here. The doctor said it showed signs of actual cancer and we need to move No. 1 in the world. Success continued at the 2015 forward with a biopsy. I called my mom on the drive home and broke down a bit.” World Championships in Beijing, where Jamaica Keith learned he had a malignant tumor, Stage 2, and was put on chemo first. won gold over favored America. Her eyes were “I was supposed to do six rounds of chemo. I only made it through five. It got to set on the 2016 Rio Olympics, at which she the point that I couldn’t drink water without throwing up. I couldn’t cough without anchored Jamaica to a silver medal finish. throwing up. I lost 30 pounds in a week.” Novlene firmly believes that every survivor Keith’s port got infected within a week. He had it taken out and a week later he is an inspiration and has a story to tell and discovered a painful lump in his neck which turned out to be a blood clot. He was that no one needs to hide their scars. “A lot of hospitalized, later having a double mastectomy and five sentinel nodes removed, people with scars don’t think they’re beautiful. two testing positive. He was put on eight weeks of radiation and has Herceptin IV You are beautiful.” She lends her time and every three weeks. voice to helping promote breast cancer awareness, screenings and early detection Pink Is Not My Color in the United States, where 1 in 8 women are Keith has tended to take the next steps and info as it comes. “A lot of doctors didn’t at risk, and in Jamaica, where 1 in 20 women have experience with this either. My surgeon’s done tons of mastectomies but I are at risk. “If I can be a motivation to others, was his first or second male surgery. I think, for the most part, I just go through the being an athlete, it’s good for my country. motions of what people tell me I should do and feel at the time.” I know the process, how you want to know “As a guy going through this there was nothing geared towards me. I don’t feel and you don’t want to know. It is hard and I like events are mine. Everything is pink. It made doing research and looking up understand what they’re going through. It’s stuff awkward. I found a few videos which were helpful,” he said. “Family and coscary. I can say, look, I’ve been through it. I get workers aside, I didn’t have a support group. I have never spoken to anyone else it,” she said. with male breast cancer.” Novlene has participated in the American “If I had to get any cancer, I’m glad it’s well researched. Even though it doesn’t feel Cancer Society’s Orlando Strides Breast Cancer like mine, it’s not a rare one. Now all of my energy is going into my business and Walk since 2012. On October 28th, she will family.” Keith has two young kids who just knew that daddy went to the doctor a be at Lake Eola, handing out medals to the lot. His kids will start early screenings in their 20’s. “This is not something that I see winners of the earlier morning 5K run before defining me. I guess it just never felt like joining 65,000 fellow survivors and walkers, MY disease.” in a sea of pink unity and support. Pink Premier Sponsor
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Metro Orlando
October 2017 • Page 3
2017 MSABC Parking Information Garage Name
Address
City
Cost Open
Jefferson Garage
62 W. Jefferson
Orlando, FL 32801 $5 6am
Central Blvd Garage
55 W. Central BLvd
Orlando, FL 32801 $5 6am
55 West Garage
60 W. Pine St
Orlando, FL 32801 $5 6am
Library Garage
112 E. Central Blvd
Orlando, FL 32801 $5 6am
Administration Garage
300 Liberty St
Orlando, FL 32801 $5 6am
Courthouse Garage
46 E. Amelia St
Orlando, FL 32801 $5 6am
Garland Lot
25 S. Garland Ave
Orlando, FL 32801 $5 6am
Eola Park Centre Lot
200 E. Robinson St
Orlando, FL 32801 $5 6am
Eola Park Centre Garage
211 E. Robinson St
Orlando, FL 32801 $5 6am
Capital Plaza Garage
302 E. Pine St
Orlando, FL 32801 $5 6am
Capital Plaza Lot
270 E. Pine St
Orlando, FL 32801 $5 6am
Landmark Center One
217 E. Ridgewood St Orlando, FL 32801 $5 6am
Landmark Center Two
245 E. Ridgewood St. Orlando, FL 32801 $5 6am
Seaside Plaza
201 S. Orange Ave
Orlando, FL 32801 $5 6am
Seaside Plaza South Garage 77 E. Jackson St
Orlando, FL 32801 $5 6am
Lincoln Plaza
Orlando, FL 32801 $5 6am
300 S. Orange
2017 Lake Eola Event Map
Awards:
• The top 3 overall male finishers • The top 3 overall female finishers • The top 3 Breast Cancer Survivor finishers • The top 3 fundraisers (This is an official timed 5K run. Runners should be able to complete a 15-minute mile. If you are not able to do so, we invite you to join us for the non-competitive walk beginning at 9am)
Registration Fees for the 5K Run: Go to OrlandoStrides5K.com to register • Before October 27 — $40 • Day of 5K Run — $50 Check-in and Registration begin at 6:30am. The run starts at 8am.
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Metro Orlando
October 2017 • Page 4
2017 MSABC Route Map
Pink Premier Sponsor
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Metro Orlando
October 2017 • Page 5
We would like to offer our Sponsors a huge Thank You! Pink Premier Sponsor
5k Run Sponsor
Gold Sponsor
Silver Sponsors
Premium Sponsor
Pink Ribbon Sponsors
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Metro Orlando
October 2017• Page 6
We would like to offer our Sponsors a huge Thank You! Supporting Sponsors
Returning Sponsors
Media Sponsors
Pink Premier Sponsor