Women Who Rise | The Chemo Athlete

Today I'm kicking off the Rise Up Photo Project with our first #womenwhorisewednesday feature.

I'd like you to meet Ruth, who calls herself the Chemo Athlete. I met Ruth almost by accident when I joined a group swim practice she was a part of. I was actually at the wrong group and didn't realize it until halfway through the workout, but thus began some amazing relationships. Ruth's determination and refusal to give up inspired me to hear more of her story, and I'm so honored that she was willing to share it here.

• Was there a defining moment in your life that inspired you to change the way you were living? I was diagnosed with incurable leukemia in 2001. In 2005, one of my friends' son was diagnosed with leukemia. She brought him in to meet me, so he could see that you can live with the disease. I told him everything was going to be ok. Then I got a flyer in the mail to join Team in Training, the fundraising arm of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I realized that it wasn't enough to say it was going to be ok...I had to take action. The drug that saved my life came, in part, from a grant from the LLS, raised through TNT. I needed to help someone else find their miracle. So I did my first half marathon in 2005.
• What is your greatest obstacle right now? Juggling my Addison's Disease. The leukemia is pretty manageable. I handle my asthma well. But there are no real guidelines for being this active with Addison's. My doctors are working with me and let me adjust my meds based upon my workouts. (Addison's means that my adrenal glands do not function properly. I cannot react to stress and my body can shut down. If I don't put the right amount of steroids in on any given day, I can end up in bed, unable to do anything for a couple of days. The crashes are hard. But I also have to not put in too much. It's a fine line.)
• What do you want people to know about you? That I don't give up. I started out unable to swim, crying at the pool and the lake. I had to stop every three miles on my bike to rest. And I start a lot more races than I finish due to time cutoffs. But I give it all I have and have made incredible progress. I never set out to inspire anyone. I just wanted to make the most of the life I got a second chance to live.
• How has triathlon changed you? I'm mentally and physically stronger. I actually weigh about 35 pounds more and yet look and feel more healthy and fit than before I started triathlons. I know that there is nothing I cannot face.
• What would you say to women wanting to begin their fitness journey? The first steps are the hardest. You think everyone is looking at you and laughing at you, but they are just as insecure as you. It really does take about 30 days to build the habit, but once you do, you feel more alive than ever. It doesn't matter if you are last at your 5k, or whatever. People always cheer the loudest for those at the front AND at the back. I'm usually last, but consider every finish line a victory.