Skip to content

North Vancouver walker maintains a positive outlook

WHEN North Vancouver resident Yumi White laces up her sneakers to embark on a 60-kilometre walk in support of the fight against women's cancers next weekend in Vancouver, she won't be walking alone.

WHEN North Vancouver resident Yumi White laces up her sneakers to embark on a 60-kilometre walk in support of the fight against women's cancers next weekend in Vancouver, she won't be walking alone.

This will be White's sixth year participating in the Weekend to End Women's Cancers benefiting B.C. Cancer Foundation and it's shaping up to be her toughest yet. However, her belief in the importance of staying positive will no doubt help her through the physically and emotionally challenging two-day event, set for Aug.13-14. Participants have the option of walking 32 kilometres one day, or a total of 60 km over two days.

Diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999, White, 48, will be among the cancer survivors, supportive friends and family members and those choosing to honour lives lost to the disease interested in going the distance to support research towards a cure, treatment, and prevention programs for breast and gynecologic cancers.

A member of Team LiveSTRONG, this year her participation is dedicated to former team leader and best friend Anita Cochrane, a Vancouver resident who succumbed to breast cancer last fall at age 39.

"This is going to be the hardest year to walk because she's not going to be there," says White, adding she misses her friend dearly as they looked to one another for support during their respective struggles with cancer. Sharing the same oncologist, the pair would discuss test results and resources, as well as research breakthroughs.

"Even though I have a really good support system and good friends, if you're not a survivor it's really hard to share things sometimes," she says.

White credits Cochrane with having encouraged her to get involved in the Weekend six years ago. Their team, initially of 12 members has since grown to approximately 40 and has raised more than $270,000 over the years. Members organize a number of fundraisers, including an annual golf tournament. This year's event, held in Richmond July 8, was dedicated to Cochrane and raised approximately $30,000.

"The reason we call it LiveSTRONG is because Anita really worshipped Lance Armstrong," says White. "When she was diagnosed she was reading his book. He really inspired her and she really wanted to fight like he did."

White is a strong supporter of the Weekend. As a cancer patient, she holds a strong belief in the importance of research and its impact on her and her peers in terms of quality of life.

"We just want it to keep going and help others and help us," she says.

Since her diagnosis, White has continued to fight the disease, which has continued to spread, now developing in her lungs.

"You know, I still have hope and I have to keep going and in this event keep doing as well as I can," she says. "Because I know if Anita was here she would be kicking my ass: 'You have to keep walking with me.' I can hear it, she would say that."

White also endeavours to share her positivity with others. She recently tweeted the following: "Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday. If you worry you die, if you don't worry you die, so why worry?"

To support Team LiveSTRONG, or for more information on this year's Weekend to End Women's Cancers, visit www.endcancer. ca.

emcphee@nsnews.com