Taken from varius local media
A walk in the woods for cancer awareness
THEY have organised fun awareness campaigns, modelled on the catwalk, and participated in a dragon boat race.
It may not seem like much, but these are women who have had to pick up the pieces of their lives after losing one or both breasts to cancer.
“There is life after cancer,” insists breast cancer survivor Rene'e Aziz Ahmad who discovered she had breast cancer in 2001 and underwent gruelling treatments, including mastectomy, to battle the disease.
Her statement sounds trite, but no one can understand it better than the survivor herself.
“There are things you can still do, some of which you never thought you could. I am more active than I ever was before (the cancer),” said the 45-year-old diving and trekking enthusiast after a Climb With Pride hike at Bukit Gasing. It was organised by Pink Ribbon Deeds (Pride) Foundation on Sunday .
The event saw the participation of some 100 breast cancer survivors and their supporters.
According to Pride Foundation chairman Datin Azrene Abdullah, the climb aims to spread Pride's message of taking on life with pride, as well as sharing what survivors and supporters have learnt when helping those who have undergone the same situation.
“We want to send a message that until there is a cure, the only way to fight breast cancer is through self-examination and mammograms, and that cancer is not the end of living life to the fullest,” said Azrene.
With all the laughter, it sounded like the participants, who had arrived as early as 7am for registration, had a good hike. “It's like killing two birds with one stone - we enjoy the camaraderie and appreciate nature at the same time,” said Adeline Joseph, 46, a survivor of 11 years.
“This walk has made us closer; there is a bond due to a common experience.”
Miss Malaysia-World 2006 Adeline Choo, who is also Pride ambassador, was delighted to do her part in promoting breast cancer awareness and cited it as a “learning experience.”
“Events like this promote regular exercise, which is important for survivors as it helps with overall well-being and preventing recurrence,” said Rene'e who scaled Mount Kilimanjaro about four years after her traumatic discovery.
She had spent 12 months training for the climb, and has since also scaled Mount Rinjani, Indonesia, on top of her previous ascents to Mount Kinabalu before and after her treatment for breast cancer.
Besides being captain of the 12-woman team at the Penang International Dragon Boat Festival 2005, Rene'e was also a model during the Walk with Pride charity gala organised by Pink Ribbon Deeds (Pride) last year.
Rene'e is ready to add another feather to her cap - she will be leading a team of five for the Climb With Pride - Aconcagua 2007 expedition next January. She is the only breast cancer survivor, while the rest of her team are breast cancer supporters.
“I hope to impart the message that having breast cancer is not the end. It may close one door, but then new doors could open, and that we should enjoy life as long as it lasts.”
Five to attempt Aconcagua ascent
IN JANUARY 1995, a group of 17 women scaled the 7,000m Mount Aconcagua, the loftiest peak in the world outside Asia and the Himalayas.
Expedition Inspiration comprised a team of breast cancer survivors-turned-mountaineers who participated in the fund-raising-cum-awareness campaign under the umbrella of the Breast Cancer Fund based in San Francisco.
January 2007 will see a team of five Malaysians, led by breast cancer survivor Rene'e Aziz Ahmad, take on the same trail in Climb with Pride - Aconcagua 2007 organised by the Pink Ribbon Deeds (Pride) Foundation, a Malaysian charity organisation dedicated to breast cancer causes.
Through the expedition, Pride aims to impart a message of hope and inspiration to breast cancer sufferers and survivors, as well as enhance community awareness and support for breast cancer causes.
According to chairman Datin Azrene Abdullah, Pride is challenging itself to take bigger steps and to reach out with a louder voice from a higher plain.
“The analogy between fighting breast cancer and climbing a mountain is simple and clear - never look too far ahead, take one step at a time, remain focused and positive and most of all, persevere,” said Rene'e at a press conference on Monday .
Rene’e’s team members are SapuraCrest Petroleum Bhd quality assurance manager Khairul Ariffin Ibrahim, Malaysian Airlines pilot Capt. Zabil Ihram Zainol, part-time lecturer Shereen Effendy Lee and award-winning filmmaker Harun Rahman.
The 26-day expedition will take place from Jan 14 to Feb 9, beginning and ending in Mendoza, Argentina.
The climbers will take the Guanacos Valley and Traverse route, a non-technical course which, nevertheless, requires basic mountaineering skills.
Climbers are expected to face extreme weather conditions, stormy winds and altitude sickness, in addition to physical strain.
“We chose Aconcagua because it had to be a challenge worth talking about,” said Rene'e.
“In the final analysis, it's not whether we reach the summit that matters the most, and there is no guarantee that every team member will enjoy equal success on Aconcagua.
“But, it is better to have tried and in trying to have experienced the journey that we hope will encourage more women to seek early treatment for breast cancer and inspire other breast cancer survivors to live their dreams.”
The team is currently undergoing a rigorous training schedule including a nine-day stint at Trans Titiwangsa and six days at Mount Kinabalu.
Climb with Pride - Aconcagua 2007 is sponsored by Eau Claire, PLUS Expressway Bhd, Air Asia, CoreZone and Powerbar with Astro as the official broadcaster.
LAUNCH OF CLIMB WITH PRIDE - ACONCAGUA 2007
Wednesday, 22/11/06 – PRIDE Foundation Chairman Datin Azrene Abdullah launched the "Climb with PRIDE - Aconcagua 2007" expedition in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
Mount Aconcagua (6,962m) is the highest mountain in the Western and Southern Hemispheres. The extreme cold, stormy winds and altitude make this mountain a serious undertaking. The 26-day expedition from 14 January to 9 February 2007 will be led by breast cancer survivor Rene'e Aziz Ahmad.
"This expedition is simply to bring a message of hope to all Malaysian women - that surviving breast cancer does not mean you have to stop living life to the fullest or that you cannot take on new and exciting challenges," said Rene'e.
She will be joined by some very ordinary people who have come together to do an extraordinary thing in support of breast cancer survivors and the need to create greater awareness about this disease.
The other expedition members - Khairul Ariffin Ibrahim, Captain Zabil Ihram bin Zainol, Shereen binti Effendy Lee and Stephanie Chok - will undertake this challenging ascent using the Guanacos Valley and Traverse route.
ASTRO, the official broadcaster of the expedition, has commissioned documentary film-maker Mohamed Harun Abdul Rahman and his company Novista Sdn Bhd to document the expedition to the highest mountain outside of Asia and the Himalayas. Filming has already begun - as team members have started training locally.
"In the final analysis, it's not whether we reach the summit that matters the most," said Rene'e. "There are no guarantees that every team member will enjoy equal success on Aconcagua. But surely it's better to have tried and in trying to have experienced the journey, a journey that we hope will encourage more women to seek early treatment for breast cancer and ultimately inspire other breast cancer survivors to live their dreams."
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