
Below is the speech I gave when I received the Star City Sports Courage Award this spring. Ann Ringlein just made running Dri-Fit shirts with my mantra. If you want to sport a shirt, talk to Ann at the Lincoln Running Company...they are awesome!
I Can, I Will
I learned the positive affirmation, “I can, I will,” from my Southeast High School cross country coach, Ted Larson. That motivating statement quickly became our team’s rallying cry in the middle of the race, and those four words carried my high school teammates and me through four undefeated seasons. I let that phrase guide me to a successful college running career at Wesleyan and during three marathons where my body wanted me to quit but my mind willed me to finish. However, that simple, yet inspiring, affirmation proved its value most when I was diagnosed with breast cancer two weeks after finishing the 2009 New York City Marathon.
Immediately, after that life-altering phone call, I realized that those “I can, I will” statements would continue to define my life:
• I can, I will…beat “CANcer” because I have an amazing support system of family, friends, colleagues, students, doctors, and total strangers;
• I can, I will…keep a positive self-image, no matter how my body is transformed;
• I can, I will…continue teaching students how to overcome obstacles with grace, humor, and perseverance;
• I can, I will…defy cancer by sporting a hot pink Mohawk and using my head as an art canvas;
• I can, I will…continue running with my track athletes, even if I reenact the scene from Chariots of Fire while on chemo;
• I can, I will…use humor to make the “cancer experience” entertaining, even though in reality uncertainty is terrifying;
• I can, I will…remind others to treasure and enjoy every day, no matter how insignificant or mundane it seems;
• I can, I will…stay focused, remain mentally tough, and exude confidence;
• I can, I will…maintain a positive attitude and help others keep a healthy perspective on what is really important;
• I can, I will…work on being more patient and learn to ask for help;
• I can, I will…share my love and make sure others know that I care about them everyday;
• I can, I will…model how to deal with adversity;
• I can I will…learn to like the color pink and defend that I am really a girl, even though I am bald;
• I can, I will…achieve my goals and help others be successful;
• I can, I will…keep running this marathon and encourage those around me to keep fighting as well;
• And…I can, I will…make it to the finish line.
From my experience, I can attest that the four words, “I can, I will,” are much more powerful then the three words, “You have cancer.”