Rise to the Austin Challenge

Auctions (benefiting LIVESTRONG)

2011-09-05T10:21:00.002+02:00

Just a few days left to bid on rare LIVESTRONG items, including a Lance Armstrong signed US Postal Service jersey and a signed LIVESTRONG cap, rare jerseys (including LIVESTRONG/ Ride for the Roses jerseys), TREK water bottles, Team LIVESTRONG shirts, a LIVESTRONG yellow band car magnet, stickers, etc.

If you're in the US, you can "pay" via a tax-deductible (to the extent allowed by law) donation to my LIVESTRONG Challenge fundraising page. To bid, please visit

in the UK=> http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/challengeaustin/m.html?_trksid=p4340.l2562

in the US=> http://www.ebay.com/sch/challengeaustin/m.html?_trksid=p4340.l2562

Deutschland=> http://www.ebay.de/sch/challengeaustin/m.html?_trksid=p4340.l2562

In Loving Memory of Courtney Clifford

2011-02-11T15:17:00.009+01:00

In loving memory of our Court (Courtney Clifford, 1982-2011)

"Love is stronger than death even though it can't stop death from happening, but no matter how hard death tries it can't separate people from love. It can't take away our memories either. In the end, life is stronger than death."

~ Unknown

Cancer stole another beautiful soul and a strong & tireless cancer advocate: Rest in peace, Courtney! We'll miss you tons... your soul & inspiration will live on!!!

Comforting thoughts & prayers for Courtney's family & friends and everyone whose lives got changed for the better just because they've met Courtney! I met Court at the LIVESTRONG summit in Columbus, Ohio, and she sure changed my life just by the way she looked at life, the way she made everyone feel better (even in tough times), and the way she faced her cancer battle head-on!

The following blog post from my friend Crissy will provide comfort & wonderful memories to those who've met Courtney (and it will probably make you smile or laugh out loud while reading). If you haven't met Court, you'll get a pretty good idea about her awesomeness =>
http://www.crispyteriyaki.com/blog/2011/02/10/courtney-clifford-1982-2011/

If you want to help honor Courtney's life + support LIVESTRONG, please consider a donation in her memory/honor and I will match it (http://philly2011.livestrong.org/henrike) ... such a small and insignificant way to honor her life, but all I can do from the other side of the pond.

Silent Auction Round 2

2011-01-25T15:53:00.010+01:00

There're still 6 days left to bid on a Chris Carmichael signed "28" poster and the Team RadioShack musette , and in honor of World Cancer Day (Febuary 4th), I just uploaded the 2nd silent auction (benefiting LIVESTRONG 100%).
This silent auction is for all of the following items and the package includes (detailed pictures of the items are posted below):

1 Team LIVESTRONG Nike dri-fit hat (distributed to members of the 2010 Team LIVESTRONG who raised at least $500)
1 Team LIVESTRONG shirt, sized either XL or S (winning bidder can chose between those 2 sizes)
1 LIVESTRONG bandana
1 Team LIVESTRONG sticker
3 pins (I'm a survivor, Choose Hope & Cancer sucks)

The current highest bid on the Team LIVESTRONG package is € 18 (approx. $ 24.50) - quite the bargain if you remember that the cap has been awarded only to team members who raised at least $500 :-)

To bid, either leave a comment on this blog or message me on Facebook or Twitter. No additional costs => I'll pay for registered shipping.
If you're in the US, your donation to LIVESTRONG via my fundraising page is a tax-deductable donation (to the extent allowed by law). Thank you for considering a donation and/or bid. Winning bidder will be announced on March 1st, 2011.

Detailed pictures:
Team LIVESTRONG cap (front and back):

Team LIVESTRONG Shirt (front and back; winner can chose between a size XL or a size S):

LIVESTRONG Bandana (plus 3 pins + 1 Team LIVESTRONG sticker):

It’s all in how you FIGHT (in memory of another beautiful soul lost to kidney cancer)

2011-01-18T20:49:00.003+01:00

Reading Brock Yetso's post of the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults , one sentence really stuck with me: "It’s all in how you FIGHT that really counts!"

If that's the way we measure their fight, they all were winners: they fought back with tons of determination for as long as they could. They were persistent and lived gracefully with no regrets. They inspired the people around them, and passed on values we are trying to install in our everyday life.
"Cancer is a ruthless, uninvited, deceitful, rude, and cheating opponent but it is an opponent that can be beat over time. It doesn’t follow any rules and it will continue to invade all of our lives. It doesn’t care who you are, who you love or what you have to live for – it cheats and steals until it feels it has been victorious." (Brock Yetso)
I am pretty sure that everyone can relate to that passage, even more so when you lost a loved one to cancer. But just like Brock, I don't think cancer really is victorious. We lost way too many friends and loved ones to cancer, but without those people/their fights/their legacies/their sufferings/their deaths, we wouldn't be as determined to fight back as we are today. We wouldn't hate cancer as much as we do. We wouldn't be as inspired as we are because of them.

It hurts like hell to lose someone to cancer. But we need to turn this hate into something productive to honor their lives and legacies. Since they are no longer physically able to fight back, we need to step in and fight back for them.

There will be times when it seems we are still losing, there will be times of hope, there will be times when nothing seems to go forward. Yet, "we need to be able to be proud of the performance we gave and be able to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and move on to the next challenge."

In memory and in honor of all our cancer angels, I will ride the 2011 Philly LIVESTRONG Challenge in August. I will wear the names of cancer angels (and warriors), written on cancer ribbons, on my jersey to honor their fight, celebrate the impact they still have on the fight against cancer and thank them for their continuing inspiration.

If you can, please consider a small donation to my fundraising page (http://philly2011.livestrong.org/henrike) in honor, support or memory of someone who inspired you in this global cancer fight. Donations to LIVESTRONG are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law in the U.S. and I'll send you a personal thank you note after the Challenge weekend!

"Give this Christmas away!"

2010-12-26T18:16:00.005+01:00

"You have the power to give someone hope far beyond their wildest dreams [...] If there’s love in your heart don’t let it stay there [...] your life will be changed by the gifts you receive when you give this Christmas away![...]It’s doing what love does even when no one’s watching you."

This Christmas I was fortunate enough to experience this first hand with the help of four of my lovely Twisters... it made my holidays a Christmas to remember & cherish! Thanks to Marie for sharing this video!

Merry Christmas!!

2010-12-25T14:56:00.002+01:00

Ride with Larry "If you love life - you'll fight for it"

2010-12-22T12:38:00.004+01:00

Sometimes I have a hard time getting motivated to head out for a bike ride... it's never because of bad weather (let's face it: if you're living in the northwestern part of Germany, you learn early on in life that there's no bad weather, there's only wrong clothing), but sometimes my shoulder problems and/or spine injury make it difficult to ride.

Today, I stumbled upon a short video that promotes a feature length documentation about Larry Smith from Vermillion, South Dakota. Here's what the website says about Larry:

"Larry, an avid cyclist and beloved small-town baker will bike across South Dakota with the support of his family and community to show the power of keeping your body active and mind positive, proving that the best cure is living life to its fullest."

"The film follows Larry during his quest to bike across his state, pushing his limits and expanding the boundary of possibilities for those with Parkinson's. With this bike ride and documentary film, we hope to raise awareness and de-stigmatize Parkinson's disease while inspiring all those diagnosed, their family, friends, and caretakers." (from: http://vimeo.com/15533022)

He certainly managed to inspire me and thinking about Larry will help me the next time I'm getting on my bike... despite the challenges and pain!

Ride with Larry (trailer) from Ride with Larry on Vimeo.

Cancer doesn't discriminate...

2010-12-19T13:18:00.007+01:00

Cancer doesn't discriminate:

it attacked the body of a young woman in highschool, who had to fight for her life and worry about insurance, instead of worrying about "teen" issues,
it killed a two-year-old boy, who'll never get the chance to experience all that life has to offer,
it attacked the body of a young mom, who, instead of enjoying the first months with her newborn baby, had to go through chemo and radiation, worrying about work, financial challenges, and whether or not she'd be there long enough to take care of her baby girl,
it killed a beautiful socialite & charity lady who was battling skin cancer for a 2nd time,
it continues to attack friends who are facing ongoing cancer scares, biopsies, excisional surgery & cancer treatments,
it killed several relatives and loved ones,
it made my Soul Sister an extremely competent and caring co-survivor by attacking and killing her loved ones,
it attacked a young man who should be able to concentrate on getting his doctorate degree, instead of spending weeks on end at the hospital and getting way too educated in everything cancer-related,
it tries (and continuously fails) to get the best of a friend who's one of the bravest person I've ever met, and who deserves to concentrate on her recovery and education without having to worry about any more cancer scares,
cancer attacked 2 year old Finn, who, despite going through radiation, surgery & chemo and losing one of his kidneys in the process, is still alive and thriving,
it will kill two good friends in the next weeks or months, it will leave children without their fathers/mothers. It will leave loving partners without their soul mates,
it might attack/kill a friend of yours, a colleague, a relative, a role-model.

Cancer doesn't care about your sex, race, religion, age or sexual orientation!
Cancer doesn't care if you're in school, unemployed, earn minimum wage or have a well-paid job!
Cancer doesn't care if you're suffering from a "good" cancer ("just" skin cancer or "just" thyroid cancer) or a cancer type that is difficult to treat. It will prove to you that there's nothing "just" about any type of cancer!

If that's not reason enough to get you involved in the fight against cancer, I assume nothing will. Everyone can make a difference and spread hope to the 28 Million around the globe who are living with cancer right now. If you'd like to support my LIVESTRONG fundraising, please message me, and I'll let you know how you can donate (every cent adds up, so don't be shy to donate a smaller amount).

Being a "domestique" for Team LIVESTRONG

2010-09-07T13:49:00.004+02:00

Last year, my LIVESTRONG fundraising came along like a dream: I found a potential sponsor, who pledged a lot of money if we ever made it to the $5,000 level, lots of friends and friends-of-friends stepped in (as did said sponsor) and together we raised almost $4500 for LIVESTRONG! In cycling terms, I was part of a breakaway group who almost made it to a stage win.

This year, it's a lot tougher on different levels, so you might call me a "domestique" (for those non-cyclists of you, it's a cyclist who works for the benefit of the team, not for his own aspirations;-)

Once again, cancer is bothering some of my friends/loved ones, which makes the commitment even more personal and thus emotional for me. Secondly, I will be back on the bike (some call it my comeback season, which I absolutely love... feels like I were a pro cyclist ;-) for the Austin Challenge in October after almost 2 years of spine and shoulder issues. Never mind too many doctor visits... I WILL be riding the 45 miles and I WILL cross the finish line to receive my yellow rose! The road has become the journey more than ever. Getting to Austin was and will be a challenge.

I couldn't have made it this far without the help and support of good friends, who were kind enough to support my fundraising and/or who continue to cheer me up whenever I need a good laugh.

I couldn't have made it past the $1000 fundraising mark without people who have been pestered by cancer and who believe in my "comeback ride". I'll ride the Austin Challenge in honor/support/memory of a long list of friends and their cancer heroes, just because I can, while others cannot.

This year, it's becoming very clear that sometimes it's not about trying to raise $5,000 for a very worthy cause (although I wished I'd get there ;-). It's not about an ego to reach a certain fundraising level! I am and always have been a team player. I'm a member of a team of FANTASTIC fundraisers, some of whom will make the "Ride for the Roses" level again this year.

So for me, this year will be about riding because others can't, thriving after a long period of pain, making it to an AMAZING weekend and meeting LIVESTRONG friends (both old and new ones). It'll be about a bike ride... a 5k walk... and most of all about cheering for others, celebrating survivors, encouraging warriors and remembering angels!

I might not be a big fundraising success-story this year, but I'm still proud of what I achieved... and very humbled to have friends who support me. You guys are the best!!!!!

With 28 Millions around the globe fighting cancer right now, we need to remember that it can be YOUR personal fight in the blink of an eye!

Cancer does not discriminate against age, race, social class, income, education, gender, or sexual orientation. That's why I'll continue to ride, walk, raise money and fight with the attitude of a true domestique ... supporting Team LIVESTRONG so that others won't have to fight this cancer beast.

Thanks for reading!

Introducing HOPE (finally: the start of my comeback season)

2010-07-10T18:13:00.012+02:00

Today has been a very special day for me, and I admit I got a bit teary-eyed along the way. This is why:

After a long hiatus from cycling (due to some injuries, including a spine injury, and some health problems), today marks the start of my "comeback season" that will hopefully result in me taking part in this year's Austin LIVESTRONG Challenge in October.

If it weren't for an amazing group of friends and complete strangers, who believed in random acts of kindness to help me out, I would be training on a city bike or in the gym. But because of this group of people, I get to ride on my beautiful bike HOPE :

Whenever times get tough or the road seems to be a bit too challenging, knowing I received this bike because of their tremendous generosity, keeps me motivated and inspired.

A very big thank you:

Scott Joy
Leslie Hughes
Brenda Sherer
John Conley
Dan Manco
Annemieke
last, but definitely not least: the awesome cancer crushers Jamie Lindsay and CARRIE Courtney (and whoever might have been involved behind the scenes ;-)

Today also showed me that whatever challenges I have to face, I'm not alone in this fight and there are numerous people who aren't as lucky as I am. So, I decided to dedicate my bike rides to people who are an inspiration to those involved in the GLOBAL fight against cancer and who might not be able to ride themselves. I'll start with my soul sister Kate's dad and grandma, as well as my friend Jenny, who's crushing brain cancer right about now!

I'm riding for them, but as you can see, there's still plenty of room on my bike, so if you'd like me to include names of loved ones who you'd like to honor/support/remember, let me know and I'll add them. A donation to my LIVESTRONG fundraising page (http://austin2010.livestrong.org/henrike) would be very much appreciated.
For a $10 donation I'll send you a card with the bike decal from the Austin Challenge in October.

Thanks again for all your support and kind words these past couple of years. It's much appreciated!

I ride for...

2010-05-27T09:08:00.006+02:00

The winners of the #IRideFor campaign have been announced, and can you believe it? Team Radio Shack will ride for my friends Jenny & Shorty in this year's Tour de France. A big THANK YOU to everyone who cheered for us. I wouldn't have made it to the Top 100 without your cheers!

Winners of the Virtual Tour of California: http://www.livestrongaction.org/ride/about

This is who I ride for (and yes, you can briefly see me crossing the finish line of the 2008 LIVESTRONG Challenge with Jenny):

Make smoking history campaign in Australia

2009-05-28T16:39:00.005+02:00

"Make Smoking History" is an anti-smoking campaign, established in 2000 as an initiative of The Cancer Council Western Australia. The campaign "aims to contribute to efforts to drive down the prevalence of smoking among Western Australian adults".

The video shown below has been described by the campaign as being a ‘shock and awe’ montage of well known, smoking-related diseases taken from anti-tobacco campaigns shown in Australia over the last decade and aims for smokers to seek out support services to help them quit.

Jamie's skydive (Orange ROCKS)

2009-03-29T23:03:00.006+02:00

I met Jamie at the LIVESTRONG summit in Columbus, Ohio last year. He was one of our track leaders for the Orange grassroots and advocacy track (Orange ROCKS, Livestrong), and a constant source of energy and motivation.

Jamie's father passed away after battling brain cancer for twenty-two years. Jaime himself was diagnosed with Stage 4b lymphoma in March of 2007.

He celebrated his 2 year cancerversary by jumping out of an airplane. It's his return to life...

Watch A Journey of Hope in Aktivismus & Nonprofit | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Game on, cancer....

2009-03-16T14:19:00.004+01:00

Just watched the newest LIVESTRONG Challenge video... so many familiar faces of people I'm lucky enough to call friends.

We need to challenge cancer until nobody needs to suffer and/or die from this horrible disease, anymore. Pick a fight with cancer today and support those who are currently in treatment and those who are in their final stages of their lives.

FIGHT ON

2009-02-27T12:47:00.006+01:00

1 HUGE reason we'll need to 'FIGHT ON' - remember Ryan Davidson of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin: read his story here He'll be missed (and not only as the Trojan's good luck charm)!

To everyone who doubted my ability to finish this semester...

2009-02-21T15:08:00.003+01:00

During the last months, I received a lot of advice from a lot of people. Some of it was helpful and supportive, some of it not so much. Just imagine being in an accident at the start of the new semester and after a difficult year with thyroid issues. A lot of people told me to relax and concentrate on my recovery, get better slowly, forget about the semester and start again next term. After all, if you can't concentrate and/or read, what's the point in going to classes?!

Due to doctors' orders, I missed 4 weeks of classes, and even after I got back I had troubles with my concentration and my ability to memorize and process information due to my head injury. A lot of times I got frustrated because it took forever to just read a page of information or to even listen to and follow lectures. To be honest, I wasn't sure I'd be able to write my finals and I had to reduce my workload for this semester to 4 classes.

2 weeks ago I was done with my two finals and I can't express how proud I was that I didn't give up or listened to people doubting my ability to go through with this semester (even though it hurt at times). Today I received the information that my political science final grade was online. I got a 1.7 (A/B). After all the setbacks of the last weeks and months, this makes my day!

Hope everyone has a great weekend! Thanks for all the notes of encouragement- I really appreciate it.

World Cancer Day 2009

2009-02-04T13:49:00.005+01:00

Today is World Cancer Day.

Cancer is a leading cause of death around the world. The WHO estimates that 84 million people will die of cancer between 2005 and 2015 without intervention.

The World Cancer Day promotes ways to ease the global burden of cancer.

From the UICC webpage:

"On 4 February, World Cancer Day, the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) will launch “I love my healthy active childhood”, the second full-year theme in our “Today’s children, tomorrow’s world” cancer prevention campaign."

Health update II

2008-11-12T12:30:00.005+01:00

I had to visit my surgeon after some neck problems and just started my physical therapy for Grade 2 Whiplash- massage and fango treatments, which sounds nice, but with all the bruises and swelling and the headaches, it's really tough to get through.

I should be back to normal in about 4-6 weeks. The scar is healing nicely (on my right forehead, 18 stitches) and all my doctors were really impressed - I guess, I was lucky to have an ER doctor who did a really great job with stitching me up.

I'll hopefully be able to go back to college next week- three weeks of bed rest are more than enough- it's really getting boring. I tried to go back this week and failed miserably- so I guess you should listen to your doctor most of the times ;-)

Thanks to Leana, my accident or rather the minutes after the accident have been documented. Not my most gracious pictures, but quite impressive:

Health Update

2008-10-30T01:09:00.002+01:00

Some of you might wonder how I am doing and why the hell I got wrapped around an iron fence. I will write another post once I'm feeling a little better. But don't you worry. I have a head injury (18 stitches), a concussion, and the right side of my body is bruised and swollen. I strongly resemble Frankenstein at the moment, but other than that I was really lucky- no permanent injuries, no eye injury, a negative ct scan, and I'm back at home to recover.

More to follow soon!

German public TV to suspend live coverage of the Tour de France

2008-10-16T16:39:00.004+02:00

The 2 German public broadcasting stations ARD & ZDF announced today that they'd suspend live coverage of the Tour de France "until further notice", following the newest doping scandal involving B. Kohl, who was supposed to be part of the "new generation" of clean cyclists. Both station will continue to cover the Tour in their sport reports and the regular news, but that will only be a fraction of their usual coverage of approx. 90 hours. Private TV channel "Eurosport" is expected to continue TV coverage of the Tour in 59 countries, including Germany.

There are reports that the Tour of Germany will be cancelled next year following the latest happenings. The "Hofbräu 6 days" of Stuttgart are already scrapped.

The perception of professional cycling is at an all-time low. Everyone was hoping for a new generation of cyclists, who'd be smart and clean (even if that would mean that there weren't any new records), but it seems like some people just never learn.

Will banning the Tour de France coverage have an impact on the fight against doping? Patrice Clerc, Chairman of the Tour de France organizers replied to a similar issue last July: "it seems paradoxical to punish the Tour, which leads in the fight against cheating."

France has took the lead in the fight against doping- cyclists who will ride the Tour in 2009 know that their blood tests will probably be tested again and again whenever new tests for banned substances are approved.

For me, it would make much more sense to appreciate their efforts in the fight against doping and force other races, like the Giro in Italy to follow the same strict rules. The Tour de France organizers are on the right track- now others need to follow their lead, including other sports, like soccer, football, baseball, track & field, swimming, etc. It's about time for cheaters to be caught, in order to let the real and worthy "heroes" step into the well-deserved spotlight!

Lots to do, so little time...

2008-10-15T08:58:00.002+02:00

The first weeks of a new university term are usually pretty hectic- people try to find classes that'll fit their schedule, you try to figure out how to transfer a class that you already passed into your new bachelor statistics, you get to meet a lot of new professors and students, and the days never seem to be long enough to fit all of that into the first week.

Now, add to that that I'm trying to get some training for the upcoming LIVESTRONG Challenge done. I know it shouldn't be that hard- after all I'm only doing the 45 miles, but the stress combined with bad weather and being a thyroid patient (who is doing pretty good at the moment) add a few challenges along the way. I talked to my professors yesterday, and they gave me the go ahead to take a couple of days off in order for me to be able to go to Austin- I guess they're used to students who miss a class without even mentioning it- so they seemed pretty astonished that I'd tell them about it. Of course, they expressed their concerns about the current developments in pro-cycling, but were open-minded enough to listen to my reasons for participating and wishing me the best of luck in accomplishing my goals with both fundraising and strengthening our local Army group.

If anyone is doing the 45 mile ride and wants to form a group to ride with, please get in touch.

Back to figuring out my schedule ;-)

2008-10-08T16:45:00.001+02:00

Congratulations, Michael, on finishing your cross-country trek!

The Challenges of Treating Cancer, a Cultural Taboo

2008-10-05T10:02:00.001+02:00

Paul Newman & Team Hole in the Wall

2008-09-27T16:23:00.004+02:00

Actor, director, activist and race car driver Paul Newman died yesterday after battling cancer. He was 83. I really loved Paul Newman as an actor. I mean it's a rare thing for me to pretty much like every movie of an actor, but that was the case with Paul Newman, probably because he had a large repertoire of characters he portrayed: from the heartthrob to rebels to losers. Just think about his movie career: 10 Oscar nominations, 3 Academy Awards, more than 50 major roles, the list goes on and on.

He was different from so many people in the industry. He had one of those rare long-term marriages with Joanne Woodward, and once told Playboy magazine: "I have steak at home, why go out for hamburger?" when being asked about any temptations to cheat on his wife.

But most of all he had a heart for underdogs, people who are challenged by life.

His food company Newman's Own donates all profits and royalties after taxes for educational and charitable purposes (with over $250 million dollars given to charities worldwide). "Shameless exploitation in pursuit of the Common Good" is a motto more companies should follow.

Over 20 years ago, he founded the "Hole in the Wall" camps, the leading global family of camps for children with life-threatening illnesses.

I have to admit I've never heard of those camps before my friend Michael wrote about his cycling adventure. He spent a week at camp as a volunteer counselor this summer and only had great memories to share. Those children really impressed me (and I wasn't even there).

Right now, Michael is on a 3392 mile (!!!!) bike ride across the sounthern part of the US (from Disneyland to Walt Disney World). I'm pretty amazed whenever I watch the Tour de France and their 3 week race across France, but those are professional cyclists- and they have 2-3 days of rest during those 3 weeks. Now Michael and the other riders accomplish an average 106 miles a day... without any off-days to rest. Now, that's impressive!

But what's even more impressive is that he's not doing this for himself (although it's been a big dream of his and he seems to enjoy it immensely), he's doing the ride to support his mother-in-law's continuous fight against cancer and to raise money for the "TEAM HOLE IN THE WALL".

Michael's goal is to raise enough money so that 10 children will be able to go to summer camp free of charge and "be able to experience the absolute magic [he] has seen for himself [...] It is amazing what these campers accomplish in one week; just as amazing are the obstacles they overcome on a daily basis, for these children suffer from serious illnesses such as cancer, sickle cell anemia, HIV/AIDS, and hemophilia. Camp helps keep them going – throughout the many challenges of serious illness. "

I know I pretty much begged people to donate to the LAF through my fundraising account during the last few weeks, but if there's even a small amount of money you have left to give to an inspiring and important cause, please consider donating to the "Hole in the Wall" Camps (just click here and you'll be redirected to the fundraising page).

If you need any extra motivation or incentive, please take a moment to watch this video and/or read Michael's blog (it's worth your time, I promise- lots of inspiring stories from the road, beautiful pictures, and a guy who has a heart of gold).

Let's remember Paul Newman's legacy and follow his and Michael's example. I know some people get sick of hearing it, but I'll say it again: Children are our future and laughter really is the best medicine out there!

Stunned Amazed Perplexed...

2008-09-25T23:09:00.004+02:00

... thank you, thank you, thank you (to be continued a million times, at least ;-)

Don't know how I got lucky enough to have some people believe in me that much, but I'm very grateful! The last week has been a rollercoaster ride (with a lot of bad press regarding Lance's comeback in large parts of Europe, including my home country of Germany, I'm afraid; but also the wonderful mail I received from a mentor friend, a beautiful post about my fundraising efforts by my honorary soul sister, and now this...), it really proves that some people do believe in team work!

I know I'll be following my dream and working even harder to make cancer a global priority, no matter what some people may say, write or post! Sometimes, being stubborn really comes in handy ;-)

2008-09-25T09:19:00.002+02:00

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children...to leave the world a better place...
to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sign the World Cancer Declaration!

2008-09-24T09:31:00.005+02:00

From livestrong.org:

"The World Cancer Declaration 2008 was developed by the International Union against Cancer (UICC), adopted by the World Cancer Summit 2008 and endorsed by the World Cancer Congress 2008.

We the global cancer community call on governments, international governmental organizations, the international donor community, development agencies, professional organizations, the private sector and all civil society to take immediate steps to slow and ultimately reverse the growth in deaths from cancer."

This is something we all can do... all around the world. Click here to sign the World Cancer Declaration today!

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A monumental challenge

2008-09-22T15:52:00.007+02:00

I don't believe in violence or war, but I do believe in the global war against cancer.
Cancer is a global enemy.
We lose 2 Europeans and 1 American to cancer every single minute.

UNACCEPTABLE!

This is a monumental challenge and the results will affect each of us.
On October 25th, I will do a 5k run in downtown Austin.
On October 26th, I will do a 45 mile cycling ride around Dripping Springs.
I have a shirt and a jersey to wear.

What's missing is the names of cancer survivors/warriors/angels/caregivers to do this ride and walk in honor/in support/in honor of. What's missing is the names of the people that are the reasons we're all participating in this challenge.

So, if you make a donation to my LAF fundraising account and send me the name of someone you'd like me to walk or ride for, I'll wear a card during the challenge and mail that card to you afterwards. No donation is too small- every donation will make a difference and will help to save lives. Just give as much as you can!

We're often told that a single person can't make that much of a difference.
WRONG!
It might be your donation and your $$$ that will get us a major breakthrough in the fight against cancer.

Don't think about donating later- do it now! Make a difference now! Donate now!
'Cause what are we waiting for?

For those of you who can't make a donation but would like me to run or ride for a loved one, please contact me and I'll include you and/or your loved ones during the event and will e-mail you the card later on.

This is the global fight against cancer- this is the war against cancer I support from the bottom of my heart and the surface of my skin. Will you join me?

Contact me: LSArmyEurope[at]aol.com

Inspirational corner

2008-09-10T15:21:00.007+02:00

My little inspirational/ motivational corner where most of my "getting back in shape"-training takes place at the moment:

new developments...

2008-09-09T16:01:00.004+02:00

... Team Astana denied the news of Lance joining the team for the 2009 season today.

Astana team press officer Philippe Maertens told the Associated Press: "He is not part of our team. Team Astana has no plans with him."

However, this seems to be old news just a few hours later:

"I am happy to announce that after talking with my children, my family and my closest friends, I have decided to return to professional cycling in order to raise awareness of the global cancer burden," the 36-year-old Armstrong said in a statement released to The Associated Press. "This year alone, nearly eight million people will die of cancer worldwide. ... It's now time to address cancer on a global level."

This seems to be sending out mixed signals to the people who were trying to get a group organized in Europe to support the LIVESTRONG Army. I guess it means raising awareness on a different level, promoting the brand, etc.

It will be interesting to see how the Tour de France organizers, who banned Team Astana from the TdF last year because of doping allegations (not proof), will react to this new developent.

New trend: Retiring from retirement?

2008-09-08T21:23:00.002+02:00

Will we actually see another sports star retiring from retirement? First, it was Brett Favre in a rather ungraceful step out of early retirement and into another green uniform (Go Pack! Go Aaron!)... and now this:

Armstrong to come out of retirement and ride for Astana

Just another rumor? A way to get pro-cycling out of a huge crisis? Who knows but it'll be interesting to see how this'll develop!

Stand Up to Cancer

2008-09-05T23:47:00.005+02:00

We're spending millions and millions of dollars/euros/pounds
inventing new things to kill one another-
we need to get our priorities straight.
If we do, we can beat this!

Together, we can be the starting point to end cancer-
it doesn't take much
but we need to start acting now,
because "one day is always one day late".

Please take a moment to look at the survivors in the Errol Morris video. The extended version can also be downloaded for free on itunes.

2008-08-25T09:49:00.000+02:00

"IT IS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL COMPENSATIONS OF THIS LIFE
THAT NO MAN CAN SINCERELY TRY TO HELP ANOTHER
WITHOUT HELPING HIMSELF. "

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Stigma & Silence: Global Perceptions of Cancer

2008-08-24T09:02:00.001+02:00

One-on-One Cancer Support: Imerman Angels

2008-08-23T13:45:00.003+02:00

Jonny Imerman was relentless in trying to talk to everyone present at the summit- and yes, I do mean EVERYONE- to the point where he almost lost his voice after the first day. Once you met him and listened to his story, you just couldn't help but be inspired by his story and the way he turned his own experience into something positive for so many people. Here's part of what he told me:

At the age of 26, Jonny was fighting cancer. Although he had the support and visits from his family and friends, he always hoped to meet a cancer survivor who had already beaten the same type of cancer in order to talk about their experiences- someone who'd just get it because he was in the same situation.

He also realized that not everyone in that hospital had visitors or even the support of their family. He went into other patients' rooms and started talking to them. He soon realized that it is a very important step of fighting cancer, to be able to talk with someone and find some kind of enouragement through successful cancer survivors. If they saw and talked to people who were in their shoes and made it, that would be a huge inspiration for them in their own fight.

Instead of going back to his regular life after surviving cancer, Jonny went to work and founded his own not-for-profit organization, called Imerman Angels. Basically, they connect cancer fighters with cancer survivors who have beaten the same type of cancer, so that this one-on-one interaction gives the fighter the chance to ask questions and receive personal encouragement from someone who's "uniquely familiar" with that situation. They also connect caregivers, so that the families and friends of a cancer fighter can talk to other caregivers who will get what they're going through because they experienced the same struggles, fears or challenges.

Based in Chicago, the organization connects cancer fighters and survivors as well as caregivers throughout the US and even worldwide. Sometimes they pair up people from the same city, but it is more important to find similar stories, than it is to find people living in the same geographical region.

Please visit their website to find out more about the organization Imerman Angels.

Thanks for reading!

... and sometimes those who inspire us do win medals!

2008-08-22T10:02:00.005+02:00

The men's 10k open water swimming event took place yesterday. 7 1/2 years after his diagnosis with ALL (Acute Lymfatic Leukemia), Maarten van der Weijden took home the gold medal. After his race, he said: "When you're lying in hospital, being tired and in a lot of pain, you're not thinking about next week. You're thinking about the next hour. You're getting patient, lying in your bed, just waiting. It's the same with the race strategy today: being patient, staying calm and .waiting for your chance to come."

On his webste, he's being introduced as world champion and cancer survivor- now he'll be able to add Olympic Champion. He'll hopefully continue to spend a large amount of time raising awareness to leukemia and telling his story.

But that wasn't the only story being told in this race. Thomas Lurz of Germany finished third. He didn't cry because he wanted to win gold or because he got into a struggle with the Brit and thus lost a few seconds . He cried because he was thinking about his dad Peter (German coordinator of long-distance swimming) who died of a heart attack during a cycling tour last year. Thank you for an exciting race and showing us that some things are more important than winning.

Sometimes it doesn't take a gold medal to be a real champion!

2008-08-21T09:48:00.006+02:00

Natalie du Toit was a very promising talent in South Africa's swim team, training hard to make it to the Athens Olympics. Those plans changed abruptly in 2001, when she had a terrible accident with her motor scooter, which resulted in the doctors amputating at the knee.

Did that stop her Olympic dreams- not even close. She had a sensational comeback in both disabled and able bodied swim events and qualified for the Beijing Olympics. She carried South Africa's flag during the opening ceremony, and finished the 10k open water swim event on Wednesday 16th (after having some problems with her cap and thus skipping drink stops).

She wasn't satisfied with her result, but already plans to be back at the 2012 Olympics in London. Plus, she'll compete in the Beijing Paralympics, where she's a heavy favorite, trying to defend the 5 gold medals she won in Athens.

Her coach gave her a poem prior to the accident, that didn't mean much to her at that time, but now serves as an inspiration:

"The tragedy of life does not lie in not reaching your goals;
The tragedy of life lies in not having goals to reach for.
It is not a disgrace not to reach for the stars,
But it is a disgrace not to have stars to reach for."

A great motto to live your life. Natalie is a true inspiration as an athlete and a survivor, showing everyone that you don't have to be treated differently just because you're different in some way. Please visit her website to read her story and be prepared to get inspired!

Fundraising auctions part II (Rickey Paulding and Dirk Nowitzki signed jersey +...)

2008-08-19T18:42:00.009+02:00

Okay, today I'll take a break from "reporting" from the Olympics (although there is an awesome story from the German weightlifting team), and take a moment to write about my second fundraising auctions on a well-know auction platform (I won't mention the name, just because they refused to consider the Nowitzki jersey as part of a celebrity fundraising auction, which would have brought more attention and less fees- apparently, he's not a big enough star. So funny).

My lovely hometown basketball team, the EWE Baskets Oldenburg were kind enough to support my LAF fundraising with a signed Rickey Paulding jersey (you can watch the item here) . Some of you might actually know Rickey from his college days, when he played for the University of Missouri. In his junior year, he scored 37 points and making an astounding nine threes against Dwyana Wade in the NCAA tournament. This summer, instead of taking a well-deserved vacation, he went to the Utah Jazz summer camp.

Plus, he has been wearing a yellow band, even before they knew about my LAF volunteer work. I gave a bunch of wristbands to the front office, too, so now they're all set to wear yellow (which matches the jersey really well.) This is from the team picture, also featuring our mascot, the thunderbird HUBIRD (I know, we get a lot of grief over that name ;-) This is a video from YouTube with Rickey Paulding highlights from last season- I kind of like that song, though. He sure is our MVP!

There's another basketball item, a signed jersey from our best basketball player, who also carried the German flag during the Beijing opening ceremony, Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks. I already mentioned that he supported my fundraising last year, too, so I'm just very thankful to the whole team around Dirk. Of course, the proceeds from these auctions will go to the LAF 100%. I'll pay for all eBay and paypal expenses (thanks again for not letting me sell those items as a charity item).

But I'll also auction off some of my Livestrong Challenge memorabilia. I looked around and found a keychain that was given to the top fundraisers of the 2007 season (so why did I get one? That's the beauty of being invited to the appreciation dinner), a LIVESTRONG Challenge duffel bag (which was an incentive for raising over $1000 last year), a LIVESTRONG water bottle, a shirt, and some other stuff. Though I liked all those items, this will hopefully help me make it to the Austin Challenge this year, so I'll part with those. Plus, I have lots of other stuff, and the best memorabilia really are the pictures with other participants and fellow mentors. Oh, and me on a Trek Madone bike wasn't too bad, either.

Here's a list of some of the items. All these items will end on August, 29th:

Thanks for reading!

Oksana Chusovitina

2008-08-18T19:44:00.004+02:00

Oksana Chusovitina, a 33 year old gymnast, won the silver medal in the vault event final, yesterday. That's pretty amazing, when you think about the fact that her career in gymnastics has lasted for twenty years. Early on in her career, she competed for the Soviet Union and later Uzbekistan- now she's a member of the German team. The Beijing games are her fifth Olympics, she also competed in 10 World Championships and won a record setting eight World Championships on the vault.

Her son Alisher was born in 1999. In 2002, he was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia. She went to a local hospital and was told that in order for the doctors to save her son, she would have to pay an enormous amount of money. She didn't have the money, but she did have some contacts to coaches of a Cologne Club. With their help, prize money and donations from all around the world, she was able to send her son to the University of Cologne hospital to start treatment and Oksana started training in Cologne.

In 2006 she received the German citizenship and started competing for Germany.

Not only is she the oldest female gymnast to ever win an Olympic medal, she's also a very inspiring person. She recently said in an interview that she planned to continue competing in the vault events and I hope we'll hear a lot more from this remarkable athlete and strong women!

Robert Müller

2008-08-16T10:13:00.003+02:00

He's one of the best hockey goalies in Germany, has been one of the goal tenders of our national team at the world championships in Canada, and led the Cologne Sharks to 2nd place in the German league last season.

28 yearl old Robert Müller is also a husband and father and a brain tumor survivor. He had a successful brain surgery two years ago, returned to professional sports and made a sensational comeback only 2 months after his surgery. However, he was aware of the fact that cancer never leaves you completely.

Now, the Cologne Sharks announced that Robert will be back in hospital and is scheduled for another surgery on Monday to remove a tissue sample.

Our national team coach Uwe Krupp said it all: "He's done it once, now he'll need to cross the hurdles once again. With his attitude, he'll make it!"

Still speechless...

2008-08-15T09:42:00.004+02:00

Still a little speechless, stunned, amazed and overwhelmed (all in a very good way). So I'll keep it short for now:

"You're part of the solution, or part of the problem.
You're gonna have to dance with one"
INXS

Follow your heart and do what you believe is right...
even if most other people ask if you are crazy!

Ready to quit ?

2008-08-13T13:01:00.004+02:00

Yesterday, all my good intentions of writing a very upbeat 100th post went down the drain when a woman in her mid-twenties attacked me verbally at our local post office. I have no idea what brought this on other than the fact that I was mailing some yellow bands to people who were kind enough to donate a little money for my fundraising efforts. So, one second I was enjoying a really nice day (after all it was a truely golden tuesday for the German Olympic squad and my Red Sox had won), the other this girl started screaming at me.

She got rather personal and in the end asked me if I were aware of the fact that I killed hundreds of people. I was stunned, to say the least, and first I really thought she was drunk. But then she explained how I, as a cyclist and being involved with the LAF, have this huge responsibility in people's death caused by doping and cancer. All I could think of was "WHAT?". I was too shocked to respond in style, I'm afraid.

I experienced all the crazy religious comments about how I was responsible for my illnesses, because I didn't pray enough or wasn't a good enough Catholic. I dealt with that, but it just never stops and quite honestly, I'm getting sick and tired of these people.

So, here it is: my very own pro and con list of why it would be a wise decision to quit:

PRO:

no more trash-talking and rude people who can't make the difference between people involved in the fight against cancer and hobby-cyclists and those criminals using doping to cheat on their opponents and the fans
no more questions about why in God's name I'm raising funds for a US-Foundation when I don't get anything out of it (concerning tax breaks or monetary rewards)
no more explanations that being a mentor is not a paid position
no more explanations that I'm not doing this to hero-worship Lance Armstrong
not being disappointed when yet another person who promised to support my fundraising efforts doesn't follow up on his/her promise

CON:

I've never been a quitter and don't plan on becoming on in the future
I have the best support system in the world (you know who you are, but just to mention a few: Kate and Michael are always the first to build me up after another low point of my cancer-related activities)
Trash talking people come and go, but there's this amazing group of veteran mentors and staff at the LAF who inspire me on a daily basis. I'm part of a great team and plan on staying on it for years to come. You're not getting rid of me that easily ;-)
Being a mentor connects me to some of the most dedicated participants of the LIVESTRONG Challenge. We might not be the top fundraisers or win any of the LIVESTRONG Challenge awards, but we do have to overcome some very high obstacles. I honestly believe that you guys are more committed to this cause than some other who might have a higher total in their fundraising efforts. Letting down this group by giving up is not an option!
Being involved in the LAF's grassroots program connects me to some of the most wonderful volunteers that a foundation could wish for. I met a lot of these people at the summit in Columbus or read their stories on their blogs. I couldn't be more proud to be in their company and I won't disappoint you by giving up.
There are close to 3.000 deaths per day related to cancer in Europe. That's the casualties of 9/11 every single day... and that's just Europe. If I'm not involved in trying to change those statistics, how can I expect our politicians or other Europeans to get active, to write letters to our politicians, to get cancer research and early detection into the news?
Being involved in the fight against cancer truely is a matter of the heart and it's part of my life, it's personal and I have an obligation to keep on going and fight for my loved ones who've been touched by cancer: my mom, my grandma, my aunt, my cousin, my great-cousins, my great-uncle, my friends, etc.

What's important is to give it your best and at the end of the day feel good about what you were able to achieve. If it's recruiting one person to join the LIVESTRONG Army and get active in cancer advocacy, that's a good thing. If it means raising $5, that's good, too. If I won't make it to Austin this year (I have a deal with a sponsor who'd take care of the whole travel expenses if I manage to raise $2500), it's not the end of the world. It's not a sign of failure, although I hope like hell there will be a miracle (or another sponsor for that matter).

When it comes right down to it, the Cons are way more powerful and way more important than the Pros. I can deal with the stupidity and ignorance of some people now and again. I will continue to explain my side of the story to people over and over again. This is too important an issue to just quit.

It'll be tough, it'll hurt at times, it most likely won't earn me any appreciation in my country. But once an athlete, always an athlete: Giving up will never be part of my vocabulary!

Thanks for reading.
I'll keep the more upbeat post for my 101st post, I promise.

Olympics: teamwork at its best...

2008-08-10T14:00:00.003+02:00

The core of the German basketball team has been playing together ever since their youths and it shows. It's a perfect team (no I don't define a perfect team as someone who always wins gold medals) with a lot of good players, and a star forward who's now being joined by a NBA center. This is not about players, this is about team effort only.

Without a doubt, Dirk Nowitzki and Chris(toph) Kaman(n) are the most prominent players and they led the team to a 95:66 victory against Angola this morning (Yahoo!). Let's face it, Dirk Nowitzki has been leading the team all the way to the Olympics, but he also led the team during some tough play-downs over the years and I don't know a lot of NBA stars who'd do that.

The whole team is walking around the Olympic village like kids in a toy store. Their enthusiasm is obvious, and you can't help smiling whenever you see on of those great haircuts ;-)

But what's most important to them these days, is to dedicate each victory to their team mate, Ademola Okulaja, whose at home recovering from a broken vertebra. He had back pains for quite some time prior to his diagnosis and the doctors are now predicting a tumor might have caused this injury. He's in for more tests, obviously.

Thanks for reading.

P.S.: I'm so proud that Dirk Nowitzki's foundation has once again donated a signed jersey that'll benefit my LAF fundraising. In times when being involved in the fight against cancer doesn't give you a lot of publicity, they rise to the occasion once again. I cannot thank you guys enough. The online auction will start within the next 10 days and I'll post about it soon.

3X Young Adult Cancer Survivor & friend nominated for Glamour’s woman of the year

2008-08-08T09:59:00.009+02:00

"Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional!"

My friend Rachel Baumgartner Lozano made the top 5 of Glamour's "Woman of the year" award. She's a 3-time survivor of Askin's tumor of the spinal cord (a malignant sarcoma that is a small-cell tumor of the soft tissues in the thoracopulmonary area). The doctors' prognosis after her relapse weren't very good (what an understatement). Quite honestly, she was given months to live. Everyone else who ever had Askin's Tumor and relapsed after a transplant had died within weeks. Click here for more of her story!

People say that there are 2 ways to react once you got diagnosed with cancer:

survive and then try to ignore you ever had cancer and try to live your life just like you did prior to the diagnosis
fight like hell, survive, and then become active in the fight against cancer. Telling your story so that others can benefit from your experiences, advocate on a local, state or national level to improve cancer research and early detection, etc.

Obviously, Rachel chose the second option. Not only did she survive (which is a miracle all in itself), she became actively involved in seven cancer charities. Rachel is an advocate and a great role model for young adult survivors and warriors, an artist, a university student following her dreams (Yahoo!) and just a very inspiring young woman. There are still lots of ups and downs emotionally and psychologically and physically, I won't tell you her life is a piece off cake now that she's a survivor, because it's not, but does she ever impersonate the quote mentioned above.

Rachel is an advocate for the LAF (she was invited by the LAF to be one of the two delegates from the state of Missouri in May 2007 to address members of Congress in support of increased funding for cancer research), she started her own blog after attending the 2006 summit in Austin: http://iamobsessedwithlife.blogspot.com and recently, she served as an honorary ambassador for The Wellness Community walk.

If you know anyone who might like to vote for her, please pass along the link- and don't forget to vote right now. You can vote for her once a day:
https://secure.glamour.com/magazine/sweeps/woman_of_the_year_2008/entry/long/

From one hypothyroid girl to another: You ROCK, Rach, and I'm glad to know you. Even though you couldn't make it to the summit this year, we'll meet some other time!

Back from the LIVESTRONG summit

2008-08-01T17:48:00.013+02:00

After getting back from Columbus on Tuesday, I had some minor problems (most of them due to the high humidity and my thyroid issues), but I'm doing okay now, so no worries.

First of all, I can't tell you how amazing the summit was. Not only because we got to hear some amazing speakers and had some good training sessions, but most of all because of the other delegates and their stories. Even prior to the opening reception, I met some very inspiring people- most of them cancer survivors, but some co-survivors and care-givers, too. The stories all sound familiar in some way, but they're also very unique in other ways and sure broadened my "cancer horizon".

It was amazing to meet so many people that I only knew from other blogs, websites or forums. Some of them even happened to be on the same track as I was. Just to mention a few people: L, Sarah, Gail and Ang (fellow crazy sexies)- it was absolutely amazing to meet you all. I know we all wished that Callie could have been there with us, but you all are amazing women. Your stories, your strengths and weaknesses inspire me on a daily basis, you're not pretenders, but the real thing and I appreciate that. I'm so glad I got to meet you in person and share a wonderful experience and quite a lot of smiles!

I also (finally) got to meet my truely wonderful friend Kate. I got to know her through some blogs and it's funny that we considered ourselves "friends" even before we met- guess in this electronic age, things like that just happen. Kate is the local LIVESTRONG Army leader of Utah, and also helped me with a couple of blog problems and fundraising (even though she probably would say she didn't do much- wrong, she's amazing and a true friend). We met at the reception, but when we went back to the hotel to change into the "vote yellow" LAF shirts (did I mention we were roomies?), there were all these cute little gifts she brought me from Utah, including a lovely necklace, some fun t-shirts and some sweets/honey/salt from Utah. I brought some small gifts, too, to thank her for all her help over the years, and fortunately had the right idea, cause she really liked my German Gnome and the LIVESTRONG Army Utah bag I made for her. Yep, that's the gnome in the picture...

I also got to meet Scott (fellow mentor and LIVESTRONG Army leader), Brian Dowd (cancer advocate and fundraiser), Dee (a fellow LIVESTRONG Army leader), Christina (Greater Miss Las Vegas and fellow LIVESTRONG Army leader), Sarah (a LAF grassroots coordinator)- the list really goes on and on, so don't be mad if I didn't mention your name ;-)

Oh, and definitely one of the highlights of the weekend: meeting Doug, the LAF's president, fellow cancer survivor and soccer player! I know there were a lot of people who were a little star-crazed over getting to see Lance Armstrong, getting a picture or an autograph. Well, that's not really my thing, but meeting Doug was really special. Every time he went on stage and talked about fighting cancer you just felt that he's really passionate about it and in it to win... also, he wasn't afraid to wear a yellow tie (not like some other people I won't mention here).

I met Doug at the Columbus Zoo dinner and he was kind enough to talk to me for a few minutes- mostly about the new ideas to take the Livestrong idea and movement and apply those strategies and some programs internationally. Hopefully I can make a tiny impact in helping them build a stronger base in Europe by forming a LIVESTRONG Army Europe. Apparently, someone standing very close made a rather funny comment, but for the life of me, I can't remember what it was ;-)

With all those amazing people I met, there are also a few people who were planning to attend and had to cancel at the last moment - all had some pretty good reason to cancel. But we missed you, anyway: Rachel, Michael, Patricia, Callie. You all ROCK!!!

More on the summit to come soon- so check back! And thanks for reading!

Right here with you

2008-07-20T14:25:00.003+02:00

Two of my favorite singers, both cancer survivors and very much active in the fight against cancer, Australian superstars Olivia Newton John and Delta Goodrem teamed up for this song, that I meant to post for quite some time. Today, I listened to Delta's most recent album - and remembered the video.

Delta, now aged 24, is a Hodgkin's Lymphoma survivor and Olivia is a breast cancer survivor of 15 years. The song is a contribution to Olivia's fundraising event called "The Great Walk to Beijing", an amazing event that challenged participants and supporters to change the way the world treats cancer.

On her website, she stated: "Olivia Newton-John and a team of celebrities and everyday cancer survivors faced one of the toughest physical and mental challenges of their lives in April 2008, trekking 228 kilometres over 21 days with the Great Walk to Beijing to raise funds for the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre Appeal."

Leading to the summer olympics, it's a song to motivate and empower cancer survivors, their friends and loved ones and anyone affected by cancer. It's about the fight against cancer and remembering that we can't give up and need to continue all the efforts to win this fight in the near future.

If you missed the walk, but would like to take part in the active fight against cancer, please consider to join our team of "Cancer Warriors" for the Livestrong Challenge Austin

If you don't want to participate, but are willing to donate and make a difference in the fight against cancer, please visit my fundraising page: http://austin08.livestrong.org/henrike

Thanks for reading.

Jail sentences for Galavit scam

2008-07-15T16:44:00.004+02:00

Today the Kassel court sentenced a 64 year old man to 7 years and 3 months of prison time. He was the head of a group of 5, who sold Galavit to cancer patients, falsely claiming it to be a wonder drug against cancer. The doctor who was involved was sentenced to 5 years and 8 months and a journalist who put out articles about the "wonder drug healing cancerous tumors" was sentenced to 3 years in jail.

The group told their patients (approx. 132 cancer patients), that the drug was developed in the Russian space program and showed good results with cancer patients- both lies. The Russian space agency denied any tests in space almost all patients died within a few months after being treated.

Those patients paid 8500 Euros for the treatment, while you can buy the stuff at Russian pharmacies for approx 66 Euros- a total scam. But more important than those hideous fees is the fact that those patients lost a lot of precious time to treat their tumors. The group shamelessly used cancer patiens who were vulnerable and desperate, and it's good to see that we don't tolerate that behavior.

Let's just hope the sentence won't be reduced after a possible appeal.

ACS gets a 2 star Charity navigator rating

2008-06-08T11:39:00.013+02:00

The American Cancer Society, probably most prominent for their "Relay for Life" events, was given only a 2 star (out of 4) Charity Navigator rating. I'm not trying to say that those of you who support the ACS should immediately stop their efforts or that the ACS is a unworthy recipient of your hard-earned money, all I'm saying is educate yourself first, then chose a foundation that will represent you and your interests best.

There are a couple of points that I don't quite understand about the ACS:

Reserves of assets

Shouldn't the $88,700,000 excess be used for research and to fight cancer, not to accumulate financial reserves? Just as a comparison, the LAF (3 star rating) had a deficit of $-5,391,455, the National Cancer Coalition had an excess of $368,543.

compensation of CEO: $659,676

Don't get me wrong, I do believe CEO's should be paid well, but that's in comparison to other charities, that's almost twice as much as their CEO's were getting (LAF: $311,423, National Cancer Coalition:$232,498).

ties to pharmaceutical and chemical industries always raise questions about conflict of interests between a foundation that should put considerable efforts in cancer research and sponsors who make their money with treating cancer patients. The Cancer Prevention Coalition has a whole list of problematic ties here.

questions about contributions to the Republican National Committee: The ACS explaines the contributions as encouragement or sponsorship of "voter registration, candidate questionnaires, or political forums. That's fine, but why not include candidates of other political parties?

Matthew Zachary of "The Stupid Cancer Blog" and "I'm 2 Young for this" has written an interesting blog entry about the topic, that certainly makes you think about what cancer foundation to support : American Cancer Society: The World's Wealthiest "Nonprofit"

It certainly proves the point that you should get all the information necessary and educate yourself about what cause you want to support, before making a commitment. I definitely learned that during the recent scandal involving the use of donations at UNICEF's German branch, which resulted in the branch losing the seal of approval from the country's leading watchdog for charities (DZI).

Find your passion and follow it!

2008-06-02T16:53:00.002+02:00

Professor Pausch returned to Carnegie Mellon University for the commencement ceremony. He was given 3-6 months to live last August- and is currently in his 9th months. What he does with his "extra-time" is truely inspirational. He indeed follows his passion, talking about his journey, inspiring others, working as an advocate.

"You will not find that passion in things and you will not find that passion in money, because the more things and the more money you have, [...]there will always be someone with more. So your passion must come from things that fuel you from the inside [...] that passion will be grounded in people." Randy Pausch.

Cancer Survivor Day

2008-06-01T11:48:00.004+02:00

A cancer survivor can be defined as anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer, from the time of diagnosis and treatment through the remaining years of life.

However, many cancer hospitals also use the term to describe the people in the lives of cancer patients who are affected by the diagnosis, including family members, friends and caregivers.

June 1st is Cancer Survivor Day, celebrating and honoring cancer survivors, their caregivers, and those who advocate for them.

There is much to be grateful for...take a few moments, just some time to reflect on your journey and enjoy your day!

World No Tobacco Day

2008-05-31T11:00:00.008+02:00

Today is "World No Tobacco Day"!

Created in 1987 to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and the preventable death and disease it causes, it concentrates on Tobacco-free Youth this year, calling for a total ban on advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products and creating 100% smoke-free environments.

Tobacco is the single most preventable cause of death in the world, the only legal consumer product that can harm everyone exposed to it - and it kills up to half of those who use it as intended.

This year, tobacco will kill more than five million people - more than tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria combined.

For more information, go to: "World Free Tobacco Day"

Joan

2008-05-22T11:17:00.004+02:00

Our CSL friend Joan passed away last week after her third bout of cancer. She was 48.

Cancer shaped her, but she was a true warrior through it all: even with chemo she still ran the Livestrong Challenge 5K and also went and got her brown belt in karate. Most of all her attitude to never give up, to hope against all odds and her warm smile will be remembered. A hero and role-model for many, this is a profound loss to the cancer community and especially her loved ones!

When we're doing the 5k Livestrong run in October, we're going to include her by wearing one of the "In honor of/In memory of" BIBs. I'm sure she would've done the run again this year, so now she will take part through her CSL friends!

This is exactly why this whole event is so important- remembering and honoring everyone touched by cancer, the warriors, survivors and angels.

Rest in peace, Joan!

Un-(bleeping)-believable!

2008-05-20T16:40:00.005+02:00

This was supposed to be a different post, and I know that most people who read this have no interest whatsoever in baseball, but quite frankly, this kid is amazing and it doesn't get much more inspiring than this! (Never mind that he's playing for the Red Sox, he's also a fellow capricorn and cancer survivor- how's that for similarities ;-))

Jon Lester was diagnosed with a treatable form of lymphoma in 2006, got back to spring training in 2007, and won the series-clinching Game Four for the Red Sox in the World Series. After that game, fellow cancer survivor and Red Sox player Mike Lowell had this to say about Lester:

"He’s obviously a fighter and he got presented with an awful thing and he never complained and never said, ‘Why me?’ He just went about beating it. And then to come back in baseball shape and have to develop himself as a pitcher on top of it, I’m telling you, I can’t wait to see this kid and what the finished product is because it’s going to be exceptional!"

Well, we got the first glimpse of that last night (which got me to stay up really late or rather quite early), when Jon Lester added a no-hitter to his stats. He already came close late April against Toronto, so we all knew he could do it, but to actually see him do it, watch the team and the whole crowd at Fenway cheer for him, was just a very emotional experience.

Jon Lester often said that whatever happens to him from here on out, whatever challenges he’s given, he can persevere. Let's just take that attitude and stick with it, why don't we!?

Congratulations, Jon, you're Un-(bleeping)-believable!

LIVESTRONG Army Europe- uniting Europeans in the fight against cancer!

2008-05-15T09:53:00.004+02:00

If you're a reader of the LIVESTRONG Blog, you might have read about the LAF's plan to investigate how they may best serve the international community as well. You can read the post by clicking here.

As the International Mentor for the LIVESTRONG Challenge, I'm so excited to see the LAF investigating a way to make an even bigger difference in the global fight against cancer.

In Europe, there's a serious problem of funding cancer programs. By the year 2005 the US spent 7 times more money on cancer research (per person) than the 25 members of the EU. Plus, research is concentrated very much on basic scientific research at the expense of preventive and clinical research.

Just recently, the European Union addressed the fact that often cancer research in Europe has the problem of competing interests and researchers. That of course results in duplication of research and slows down research that would be more effective and/or covering a broader spectrum. We need national and international collaborations to concentrate our efforts- we should all remember that it's not about personal gains or prestige, but all about uniting as a global team to fight cancer.

One example of joining forces in the fight against cancer is the partnership between the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg. To read the press release (04/25/08) click here.

MORE THAN 25 MILLION PEOPLE ACROSS THE GLOBE ARE LIVING WITH CANCER.

MORE THAN 11 MILLION PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD WILL BE DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER THIS YEAR.

ONE IN THREE PEOPLE WILL BE DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER DURING THEIR LIFETIME.

As Europeans, we have a voice when it comes to fighting cancer- we just need to speak up louder and unite. So, in an effort to unite Europeans, and because I got a lot of feedback from Europeans who were interested in supporting the LAF on a personal level, I started a new LIVESTRONG Army Europe group. It's a place to get and discuss the latest cancer news, the latest LAF news or even plan events to get other people involved and raise awareness.

The LIVESTRONG Army-Europe is just a small step on the way to a more global fight against cancer, but we need to start somewhere, right?

So, if you're either living in Europe or know someone who does and who might be interested in joining us, please pass along our group's page: http://groups.myspace.com/livestrongarmyeurope

Thank you!

Good Morning America

2008-05-12T19:59:00.002+02:00

Just a quick note for those of you who didn't watch ABC this morning.
Lance made an appearance on Good Morning America. He talked about LIVESTRONG Day and the LIVESTRONG Summit.

Lance on Good Morning America

Livestrong Day, May 13th 2008

2008-05-09T11:23:00.009+02:00

May 13th is LIVESTRONG Day. There are tons of events all around the globe- and here are just a few examples organized by people I am honored to call my friends. Some events are still waiting for approval, so I’ll hopefully get to expand the list within the next days.

If you want to participate in the fight against cancer on this special day, but can't visit any of these events, you can either plan your own event, or consider making a small donation.

You can also register for the Livestrong Challenge. If you plan on attending the Austin Challenge, please join our team 08 Cancer Warriors http://austin08.livestrong.org/cancerwarriors by clicking on “Join Our Team”, agree to the waiver and then fill out your personal information.

Please note: All participants must pay $50 at the time of registration. However, if you join on Livestrong Day -May,13th 2008- and enter a code that will be displayed here, you'll get 50% off, so it'll only be a $25 registration fee.

For a complete list of events, please go to: View all Livestrong Day 2008 events

LIVESTRONG DAY Evening Dining at "SOBO american bistro"- Boulder, CO

SOBO american bistro
Boulder, CO
05/13/2008
5:00 pm-midnight

An evening fine dining in the relaxed yet elegant atmosphere, in one of newest and nicest restaurants in Boulder, CO, for cancer survivors, and cyclists to raise awareness of cancer advocacy and survivorship.

LiveSTRONG Day Unity Walk

Roosevelt's Billiards Bar and Grill
Farmington Hills, MI
05/13/2008
5:30 pm-10:00 pm

Wear Yellow and join us for a Family walk through our neighborhood. The walk will start and end at Beechview Elementary School; located at the end of Westmeath Street in the Kimberly subdivision. Start time for the walk is 5:30 pm. Following the walk, dinner, drinks and games at Roosevelt's Billiards Bar and Grill (under 21 allowed untill 9:00pm). Roosevelt's will donate a portion of the nights proceeds to the LAF.

LIVESTRONG Day on the New Hampshire Seacost

Synergy Health & Fitness Center, Exeter Hospital
Exeter, NH
05/13/2008 2:00 pm-6:00 pm

Healing Arts Class Exhibit led by Kathleen Robbins MFA
Tuesday, May 13, 4:00 to 6:00 PM

Synergy Health & Fitness Center
5 Alumni Drive
Exeter, NH

Livestrong Day Pampered Chef Show- San Antonio, TX

Stoneybrook Apartments Club Room
San Antonio, TX
05/13/2008
7pm- 9:30pm

A Pampered Chef fundraising show to benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation via the Livestrong Challenge. We will cook healthy meals and have the opportunity to order Pampered Chef cookware as well as hear about the message of the Lance Armstrong Foundation. I'm going to try to have a silent auction during the event also.

Vicky Fletcher's Cookies for a Cure Bake Sale (she is the LIVESTRONG™ Local Army Leader Utah Valley).

WHERE: In Front of The Orem Wal-Mart SuperCenter, 1355 S SANDHILL RD, Orem, Utah.

WHEN: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

LIVESTRONG! Cycling Spinning for Cancer Awareness- Seattle, WA

Puget Sound Plaza Sidewalk
Seattle, WA
05/13/2008
11:30am-1.30 pm

Come join in as I ride my bike on a stationary trainer in downtown Seattle, raising awareness of the Livestrong efforts to support cancer survivorship. You can cheer us on, join in the spinning (just bring your bike and stationary trainer), or drop by to pick up LIVESTRONG Literature. It was a great event last year, so please drop by to provide support! Please contact me if you are interested!

A topic close to my skin ;-)

2008-05-01T17:14:00.006+02:00

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month!!

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer - accounting for about half of all the cancers.

The best way to lower the risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer is to avoid intense sunlight for long periods of time. But don't sweat it: you can continue to exercise and enjoy the outdoors while practicing sun safety at the same time. There are some guidelines for sun safety:

Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Seek shade, especially in the middle of the day when the sun's rays are strongest. If your shadow is shorter than you, the sun's rays are at their strongest.
Slip on a shirt. Choose comfortable clothes made of tightly woven fabrics that you cannot see through when held up to a light. That's also a great tip for people with sun allergies.
Use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher. Use sunscreen even on hazy or overcast days. Use it generously and reapply when needed.
Cover your head with a wide-brimmed hat, shading your face, ears and neck.
For those of you who prefer baseball hats: remember to protect your ears and neck with sunscreen.
Wear sunglasses with 99-100 percent ultraviolet (UV) absorption

Get familiar with your own skin- check the pattern of moles, freckles and beauty marks. Let someone else check your back. Changes in the number, size, shape or color of spots should be reported to your doctor/dermatologist.

Don't use tanning beds- not only will they make your skin age much faster and let's face it, who wants to have wrinkles at an early age?- it also has lasting effects on your skin. Besides, pale is the new tan, right? ;-)

Time 100 List

2008-05-01T16:57:00.002+02:00

Great news from the LAF! Check out the new TIME 100 List:

http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1733748_1733756_1735280,00.html

The truth about cancer

2008-04-20T09:43:00.003+02:00

Why are people still dying from cancer?

That's the question Linda is asking. She's returning to the Boston hospitals where her husband Larry (who died from lung cancer) received his care. It follows patients like Jamie, who's fighting metastatic pancreatic cancer who receives some bad news or Vinay, a medical student with leukemia. Following their stories makes cancer personal, even to those who are lucky enough to never have experienced cancer. They make you care and hopefully think about cancer and ultimately get involved in the fight against cancer (I hope).

One of the oncologists mentions Lance Armstrong and the fact that people now believe that if they fight hard enough and be strong enough, they could beat metastatic cancer. And that those people wouldn't understand that Lance Armstrong "won the lottery".

Not everyone will survive, but that's exactly the point. We need people who inspire us, people who beat the odds, who are still with us even though their prognosis wasn't very optimistic. And we need to tell other people about those inspirations, educate people about early detection and self-exams. Most of all, we need to talk about cancer, bring cancer to the news, and get more people involved in fight against cancer.

The easiest way is to donate as little as $5 to a cancer foundation, talk to your friends/families/co-workers/neighbors, etc. about cancer, visit cancer patients in your community and offer them a smile or some cheering up- or just the chance to talk. There are numerous ways to get involved and pick your fight with cancer. Every little step helps, so please consider donating some of your money or some of your time and make a difference.

As Melissa Sileo from the LAF staff wrote on the Livestrong Blog: "Although watching this film won’t cure cancer, it has the possibility of reaching more people, educating more people and inspiring more people to become invested in the war against cancer."

Metastatic cancer doesn't stop- it spreads and spreads and spreads... and that's exactly what we need to do- spread the knowledge about cancer- spread and spread and spread....

If you didn't catch the show, you can watch it online at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/takeonestep/cancer/video-ch_01.html

Thanks for reading!

Curse of the new Yankees stadium... well, almost!

2008-04-13T23:46:00.006+02:00

As a Red Sox fan, you can probably imagine my "relationship" with the Yankees. But this is just too funny!

A construction worker planted a Big Papi #34 Red Sox jersey in the new Yankees Stadium and thus planned to curse it. Team officials learned of this rather creative way of making the new stadium unique and then decided to have construction workers jackhammer through the concrete and pull out the jersey. 5 hours of drilling- the jersey in shreds, but it will be sent to the Jimmy Fund, a charity affiliated with Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and auctioned off. So, the Red Sox fan actually did a good thing in the fight against cancer!
Let's just hope Dice-K and the rest of the guys will take that as some extra-motivation to nail his third victory and end the series on a high note!
_____________________________________

Okay, Michael, as I would've been very disappointed if you hadn't mentioned the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry, I'll agree on the I-55 series as one of the greatest rivalry in baseball. Just like Buzz Bissinger said, "it's about geography and territorial rights". Let's just skip the first part of the quote ;-)

Cathy Bueti: Breastless in the City

2008-04-07T10:23:00.005+02:00

"Life can be a wild ride, taking us places we'd rather not go. What differentiates us is how we handle the bumps and jolts, and what we learn from them."

I first got to know Cathy Bueti through her myspace page- we became friends through the side and exchanged comments and thoughts. When the Crazy Sexy Life Forum was introduced, I found her profile there as well, so we started communicating again. I always meant to read her book, but somehow couldn't buy it (long story), and she was kind enough to send me one.

The moment it arrived, I dug into it and couldn't make myself stop. Her story seems to be a never-ending series of challenges, starting with her dad being an alcoholic, her becoming a widow at the age of 25, and being diagnosed with breast cancer around 30. She leads us through that part of her life, about the struggles to make the right choices about her treatment options, not feeling comfortable with your own body and having low self-esteem, loosing your hair... and in the midst of it all, starting to date again. You wouldn't believe the guys she met- unless you read about it, of course. Let's just say, this book will probably make you cry at times, but it'll also make you laugh out loud when you read about experiences you've gone through, as well.

Cathy shares her own fears, weaknesses, and triumphs. The reader follows her to everything from doctor appointments and her blind dates to her first day back at work as an OT, when suddenly she is not the patient anymore.

Today, Cathy is inspiring young cancer warriors, raise awareness for Breast Cancer and is involved in the I'm Two Young For This! Cancer Foundation

If you would like to read more about Cathy, please go to her website CathyBueti.com
and check our her book!

Become a sponsor and pick a fight with cancer today!

2008-03-20T18:59:00.004+01:00

I am inviting you to become our sponsor for the 2008 LIVESTRONG Challenge in Austin, Texas this october.

The LIVESTRONG Challenge is the signature fundraising initiative of the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF).

Our team "Cancer Warriors" is aiming to raise at least $10.000, but we can’t do it without your help.

All sponsorships will be in form of donations directly to the Lance Armstrong Foundation and are tax-deductible within the US to the extent allowed by law. You can find all the information and sponsors' benefits/forms of recognition, by clicking here:

Sponsor Recognition

You can make a safe donation online by clicking on the "Benefiting the Lance Armstrong Foundation- Livestrong" Logo on the right sidebar.

If you’d like to make a donation via phone or would like to mail a check, here’s the form you need to fill out to send with your check and the phone number to call (please state the participant ID and name mentioned on the form when making a donation via phone).

How to donate by check or via phone

Thank you for your contribution and for helping us to empower cancer survivors to live life on their own terms!

Update: Chantal Sébire

2008-03-20T17:57:00.001+01:00

Chantal Sébire was found dead in her house yesterday. Cause of death is yet to be determined.

The district attorney Allachi has already questioned her relatives and is thinking about ordering an autopsy of Chantal's body. So, even though her sufferings have ended, it seems as if her relatives will have to go through another round of questionings and painful experiences. I don't understand why they won't leave them alone to cope with the death of their mother. It's just painful to watch, even from a distance.

The French government is thinking about changing their law about PAS and create a national commission to discuss those cases. Too late for Chantal...

Chantal Sébire

2008-03-17T16:32:00.004+01:00

"An animal would not be allowed to endure what I have to endure."

If you're living in Europe, chances are you have heard about Chantal Sébire, recently. I'm well aware of the fact that euthanasia is a very difficult subject, dealing with both ethic issues and the doctor's code to save lives, but if you read about Chantal, it might make you think...

Chantal is a 52 year old mother of three and is suffering from a rare and uncurable disease (esthesioneuroblastoma) that has left her disfigured by facial tumors. I'm not going to post a picture of Chantal, but you can find her story here: The Daily Telegraph
I can't imagine that those pictures will leave anyone cold! They clearly show all her sufferings.

Those tumors that left her blind and robbed her senses of taste and smell, will also damage her brain over time and eventually kill her. Chemo and other forms of treatments did not work. Now, she appealed to French President Nicolas Sarkozy to allow her to die by euthanasia.

All she wanted was go out and celebrate with her family, then go back home and die in dignity.
However, French law does not allow for euthanasia, so it came as no surprise that her wish was declined today.

Where does that leave Chantal? Well, there might be the opportunity of passive euthanasia- being hospitalized and put into an artificial coma without being fed until she dies. Chantal objected, this form was "neither dignified, humane, or respectful of me or my children."
Instead, Sebire's lawyer says she'll either appeal, if she feels the strength to fight on, or check into a Swiss facility specializing in assisted suicide.

I can't even imagine in what kind of pain she and her family have to be- having to deal with cancer and the fact that she will die, and fighting for a way to die in peace and with her dignity intact. Chantal and her family are in my thoughts and I hope they'll have the strength to keep on fighting- wherever that might lead them.

Update on Randy Pausch

2008-03-15T16:25:00.002+01:00

Randy Pausch (You know, the professor whose “Last Lecture” was featured on the internet) just got out of hospital, after they had to get rid of some fluids around his lungs. Instead of getting back home and recover like most people would, he travels to Waschington, D.C. to testify before Congress and advocate better funding for pancreatic cancer.

http://download.srv.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/news/index.html

He's a true inspiration!

Special recognition

2008-03-01T13:57:00.004+01:00

I‘ve never been one of these people who worship their idols or display the autographs of famous people they‘ve met.

For that matter, the only time I asked someone for an autograph was when I got to meet Matthew Modine, who‘s my all-time favorite actor and who I got to talk to during the Oldenburg film festival in 1997. Then I got a signed picture of Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray, who I met at the Mall of America during my Wisconsin year abroad. He talked to me for about 5 minutes when everyone else just got the opportunity to get an autograph and some girls really gave me the evil eye. Funny stuff!

So, two days ago, my attitude towards signed items (or rather one special item) drastically changed. I received a huge package and couldn‘t even place it, since I didn‘t order anything. After removing tons of wrapping material, I discovered a framed and signed Newsweek issue that has the yellow band on its over. And below the magazine, there‘s a small inscription that says: „In recognition of Henrike for her outstanding commitment in the fight against cancer…“

I can‘t even say how proud and touched I am of this special recognition. All I can say is that I am incredible proud to work with such amazing and inspiring people (both cancer survivors and volunteers) all over the world and to be part of the cancer community, who always offer words of encouragement.

It‘s also incredibly motivating to keep fighting and keep kicking cancer‘s butt, even at a time when I‘m not my personal best. Just like Martin Luther King said:

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
Martin Luther King, Jr.

2008 Livestrong Challenge

2008-01-16T18:30:00.000+01:00

The 2008 Livestrong Challenge series has been officially launched!!! There's a great incentive for people who decide to register as one of the first participants: Today (January 16th) there'll be a $10 discount when you enter the code LSC2008 during the registration process.

The dates are:
Portland, OR – June 29
Bay Area, CA – July 13
Philadelphia, PA - August 24
Austin, TX - October 25-26

In case you plan to participate in the 2008 Austin Challenge, please join our team 08 Cancer Warriors, by going to the LAF website: http://austin08.livestrong.org/cancerwarriors

Just click on the "Join our team" and you'll be led through the registration process. It'd be a great honor to welcome you to the Cancer Warriors Team real soon! Thanks for making a difference in the fight against cancer!!!

If you don't plan to participate in the Challenge, please consider making a donation by clicking on the honor roll button or going to my fundraising account: http://austin08.livestrong.org/henrike

This is my 5th year of fundraising for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, and to celebrate, every donor will be included in a raffle that will be drawn during the 2008 Austin Challenge weekend. I'm greatful for each and every amount you can give, whether it's $5 or $100. Prizes include Lance Armstrong and Livestrong items, including books, pens, magnets, shirts, etc. So please help me raise awareness and money for the LAF and make your own personal contribution to help us fight cancer!!!

The 'Big Day'- turning 30

2008-01-04T13:59:00.000+01:00

"It is not by muscle, speed, or physical dexterity that great things are achieved but by reflection, force of character, and judgment; in these qualities old age is usually not only not poorer, but is even richer."

– Cicero

Okay, so it finally has arrived: the "big day" of me turning 30!

People keep calling me and keep asking how I feel now that I'm old... or that I look much younger than 30. I guess it's supposed to be a significant change in my life, but to be honest it feels like a normal birthday, spending time with my family and spending most of the day on the phone.

Am I supposed to freak out just because I'm a thirty-something now? Is my life going to go down the drain now? Gosh, I certainly hope not.

One of my friends told me that starting in 24 hours, I am officially closer to 40 than to 20. Sounds depressing, doesn't it?

On the brighter side, turning 30 also means:

I have become more comfortable in my own skin. I am content with my life, even though there certainly were some big bumps and bruises along the path. But that's what keeps life interesting, right?

I've accepted that I am capable of doing whatever I put my mind to, starting with finally getting the signed EWE Baskets Jersey of Rickey Paulding to auction off for the LAF, and bumping into Dan McClintock in the process ;-)

I’ve learned how to compromise without compromising myself in order to make life easier for both me and other people

I've learned that I don't have to be perfect. Being healthy and comfortable in my own skin defines me more than anything. That one took some time, but I got there!

I am capable of independence (well, I kind of learned that when I went to Wisconsin in 2000, but it's good to remember it every now and then, I kind of miss the Wisconsin winters, though).

Doing the right thing, means doing the right thing by my standards, not someone else’s.

Being a good friend is just as comforting as having a good friend yourself.

Most of all, I've learned to be happy and enjoy life with my family, my mom and dad and my friends. They are invaluable and I just love them more than anything!!

I’ve turned 30… So what?! Bring on the next 30 years!

The fight continues...

2007-11-04T19:54:00.000+01:00

Hard to believe, but it's november already. Time definitely did pass way too quickly. I meant to write about my Austin experience days ago, but then school started again and, yep, you guessed it, people everywhere got cold infections.... including me- again!!! I'm so sick and tired of doctors' waiting rooms- for the past 2 1/2 months, I've pretty much had it. Oh well, it could be a lot worse, too, so who am I to complain?

Just this past week, I received an e-mail from a guy I met through the Livestrong experience. I sent him 2 binders and a few extra Livestrong items, and he responded soo after that. Here's what he said:

"I wanted to share with you that just 5 weeks ago, i was diagnosed with testicular cancer, and unfortunetly it spread to the pelvis and lymphs, but I just last week started chemo, and will undergo that through Feb, and than have my second operation. I will kick it's ass, and you do the same with your training!
I'm going to use all the items for keeping track of what i'm going through.
Many thanks for what you're doing FOR ME!"

At times like that, I get all teary-eyed. I mean, not only do we need to keep on fighting this horrible disease for people like Steve, but to have him thank me for doing what I do, it's just amazing. I'm not the most successful fundraiser, nor am I rich, so I can't really do much. But like Steve said, it's appreciated nonetheless. However small the contribution might be, it's important to join the fight against cancer.

So, I put up my Livestrong Challenge dri-fit shirt on eBay to auction it off. And I still have a few items from last season's thank-you gifts that I will include later this week. Please take a look and bid on items to get a great souvenir and help our cause.
My eBay auctions

Oh, you might have noticed that I changed the color of my blog from pink (for the pink or October campaign) to blue. Actually, I tried to find a purple template, but no such luck, so this will have to do. November is national awareness months for both lung cancer and pancreatic cancer.

Someone mentioned that although he liked the fact that breast cancer was very much in the public eye during the month of october and everywhere you looked, you could see something pink, but he also wished, you'd be able to see all the other colors for the different cancer types throughout the year- so here it is: blue (sorry I couldn't get it to be purple) for pancreatic cancer and pearl for lung cancer (my Austin experiences will be posted later this week, I promise).

Everything I hoped it would be and then some...

2007-10-19T21:55:00.000+02:00

Okay, I'm back from Austin, and still a little jet-lagged, but really happy.

I had the most wonderful time in Austin- the weather was great (hey, now that I'm back it's starting to freeze in Germany, so my tan will be gone in no time, oh well), I got to meet some really amazing people, many of them cancer survivors, a lot of them involved in fundraising activities benefiting the LAF, some of them mentees from Europe, other fellow volunteer mentors from the US and Canada, LAF staff and friends.

I'll tell you all about the weekend in the next few days but I thought I should probably post my photos, so you can get some impressions in case you didn't make it to Austin this year!

2007 Livestrong Challenge- Austin, TX

Oh, and Kate, I'm so sorry I didn't get to call you. Somehow my phone acted up and then the ride was there and things got a little hectic. But I didn't forget you and honestly hope we'll get to meet some day, maybe at next year's Challenge?! Thanks again for all you did and still do fighting against cancer!!

Oh, and I thought you might like to know, that I included you in the Challenge- take a look (sorry, I didn't get more names on the card):

Off I go...

2007-10-08T21:30:00.000+02:00

You won't here a lot from me for the next week, as I'm flying to the US tomorrow and won't be back til Wednesday, 17th. Oh, the excitement- it really gets me just a few hours before the flight and I can't wait to meet all the great people involved and/or participating in the Livestrong Challenge.

To those of you who will be in Austin, as well and would like to meet me, just head to the Livestrong Village. I will be at the LAF booth during registration on Friday (4-8 pm) and on Saturday, probably after lunch.

I just know we'll have a great time and we can celebrate our joined efforts in the fight against cancer- I mean who would've thought the amazing progress that happened in cancer research and treatment?! If we keep on fighting, we'll be able to cure cancer at some point of time in the nearer future- at least that's what we can hope for and work towards.

So, I'll see you in a few days or you can find out about my 2007 Challenge experience after I got back!

Back to you

2007-10-05T10:00:00.001+02:00

I came across the Philadelphia 2007 LiveSTRONG Challenge Messenger Award Speech by one of my fellow volunteer mentors, Scott Joy recently. Always meant to write about it, but somehow I never got to it. Well, wait no more...

In his speech, he talked about asking a lot of people to sponsor his ride and help fight cancer, and he got a pretty amazing response. Many people told him about their fight against cancer or a person that was very close to them and actually thanked him for asking and most of all doing something against cancer.

So, Scott urges us to keep asking for donations, keep being a messenger and to continue delivering the powerful message of hope and strength and life.

It doesn't matter whether you're one of the top fundraisers, like Scott who managed to raise an incredible $ 20,425.00 (his team raised $96,256.50), or you make a $5 donation- it's all very much appreciated and it helps us getting another step closer to fight cancer and give cancer patients and their loved ones a reason to hope, a reason to keep their strength and be able to look forward to a healthy life after surviving cancer.

I'm one of those people, who are not even close to making a huge benefit for the LAF, being a student doesn't leave a lot of money left for me to donate. Plus, people in Germany or Europe in general are very skeptical about making a donation to a US foundation, even though the LAF supports various European projects.

But, to all of you who did support my fundraising efforts, I just want you to know how much I appreciate your great e-mails of support, telling me about your experiences in the fight against cancer and keeping me motivated to continue my endeavor in times when I got nasty e-mails from people criticizing my involvement with the LAF. The LAF is an organization that will always be very close to my heart, with a great bunch of people working and volunteering for it and I'm very proud to be part of the LAF family. Thanks again for your help and please consider to continue your support of the LAF!

German Unity Day

2007-10-03T00:59:00.001+02:00

Today is our national holiday- the day we celebrate the German reunification. It's already been 17 years, but when I see the pictures of people climbing over the Berlin Wall, it always manages to give me goosebumps. Although I was only 12 at that time, I still remember everything about those weeks, especially since I have family living in the former GDR. We were all so excited and enthusiastic that we were finally a united nation, again.

Although in many people's mind some of that enthusiasm has disappeared, I believe we should be proud of our nation. Of course, there are still some difficulties left, but that's a small prize to pay for what truly has been a historic event.

Did I mention that besides being a complete sports nut, I'm also a huge music fan- pretty much covering all kinds of music from rock or punk music to hip hop or country. But there are only very few bands or musicians that make me buy their CD whenever something new comes out, including Tara MacLean, Sarah McLachlan (yep, I seem to prefer Canadian artists, it seems), or the Push Stars (I first saw them performing at the University of Wisconsin at LaCrosse where they took part in MTV's Choose or Lose, and have been a fan ever since).

And then there's my favorite band, Matchbox Twenty (although it's a close call between those guys and the Push Stars). They were gone for quite some time, but now they're back and you can imagine my surprise, when I saw their new video and there were scenes from the German Reunification in it. It's called "How far we've come".

It chronicles many big events in history: landing on the moon, President Kennedy, the feminist movement, Pele, tearing down the Berlin wall, Live Aide, the new millennium, Princess Diana, the Middle East peace process, Live Earth, and minorities (at least when it comes to their representation in politics) as front runners for President (Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton).

Portland Livestrong Challenge

2007-10-01T09:17:00.000+02:00

It's October, 1st, and Web sites will "Go Pink" during the month of October to bring attention to Breast Cancer Awareness Month, get people talking about breast cancer, and raise money for research (check out their website: pinkforoctober.org for details).

You can get a ton of information by visiting the websites on my sidebar or donate to my fundraising account at the LAF.

A week to go before I'll head over to the States and two weeks before the Austin Challenge! Can't wait- I'm just so excited to go there and meet everyone.

Yesterday, the Portland Challenge obviously was a great success- with not so nice weather condition... it's reported to have been rather wet and cold, so just like in Germany ;-)

Anyway, I'm trying to get a bit of an overview for those of you who haven't been there, so if anyone knows of some pictures or news reports, let me know. This list will be updated as more information becomes available.

Third annual Livestrong Challenge in Portland

Nearly $2 million raised during Livestrong Challenge

Thousands Join "Livestrong Challenge"

Rain doesn't stop Livestrong riders (KOIN News 6)

Thousands Run, Bike to Beat Cancer (FOX 12 Oregon)

Armstrong leads 3rd annual Portland fundraising ride

Germany's women's soccer team sets records

2007-09-30T16:26:00.000+02:00

Germany women's soccer team defended their World Cup title with a 2-0 victory over Brazil today and are thus the first team to defend their title. But that's not the only record they broke.

Germany is the first team to go through a major senior tournament without yielding a goal, outscoring the opposition 21-0. in addition, they have not given up a goal in 619 minutes in World Cup play (the last goal was scored four years ago by Sweden).

Pretty impressive team effort, with a great German goalie, Nadine Angerer, who tipped away a penalty shot by Brazilian superstar Marta. Again, the women's team is even more successful than the men's national team who won bronze in last years world cup in Germany. Let's just hope that they'll receive the attention they deserve and that the media will pick up on their success and increase their coverage of the women's league. It's way past time to do so!

Earlier today, the USA beat Norway 4-1 in the bronze medal game.

History marker in Green Bay

2007-09-24T23:06:00.000+02:00

Okay, this is totally off topic, but as many of you know I spent a year in Wisconsin studying at the University of Wisconsin @ La Crosse a couple of years ago, and I met a lot of great people there. I loved everything about Wisconsin, even the winter, and of course I became a huge Packers fan. Yep, you guess it, it's time to mention a little piece of history in the making- Brett Favre tied Dan Marino's TD record on Sunday.

Even more important, a team that a lot of people underestimated during the pre-season, now is 3-0. And next week, he'll hopefully break the TD-record and add another win against Minnesota- oh, can't wait for the old Packers-Vikings rivalry. I told you I'm a sports nut!

Favre has played 17 seasons in the NFL and has started every game since his first start for the Packers in 1992, an "Iron Man", for sure! But not everything was perfect. He overcame an addiction to pain killers, had to deal with the death of his dad, and the death of his brother-in-law. And... and this is where it all comes full circle to the fight against cancer, only a week later, his wife Deanna was diagnosed with breast cancer. She started the Deanna Favre Hope Foundation, that pays medical bills for women with breast cancer who are uninsured or underinsured. After going through chemo, she fully recovered and is doing great, but she always kept her humor, even during her treatment: "I lost everything — my hair, my eyebrows, eyelashes — and yet I still had to shave my legs. The one place a woman really wants to lose hair, and I didn't."

If there's one thing you learn during this ongoing endeavor is to never loose your sense of humor and the faith that you will be okay!

It's raining again....

2007-09-20T11:16:00.000+02:00

Okay, it's passed time that this stupid rain will finally stop. I mean, it's been like this pretty much all summer. We had about 2 weeks of warmer weather in June and could actually get our t-shirts and shorts out of the closet, but since then it's been rainy and cold, so I'm back to wearing jeans and sweaters, if you can believe it.

Since I'm still recovering from the flu, although it's getting much better, I can't do any cycling outside. With the rain and the cold weather, it's just way too risky with the Austin Challenge coming up in about 3 weeks. I'm not even taking a chance on getting soaked to my undies again!

Everything else is finally falling into place. I already booked my flight (pretty expensive but it'll be worth it), I finally got the information that I will be able to borrow a bike for the actual challenge ride, and I'm beginning to get all the information I need about where to stay during the week.

The only negative aspect is my fundraising that came to a complete stop. Actually, I had 3 people lined up who promised me to either support my fundraising or even sponsor me, but I haven't heard from them ever since. I mean, why offer something like that and then not follow up on it? It got my hopes up to actually accomplish my goal of raising $5000 and now it's a pretty disappointing situation.

Oh well, I did organize some online-auctions, but most of the people who won the items are very slow in sending the money, so that money will probably arrive in time for next year's fundraising season.

But, I won't complain, it's been a new fundraising record for me, anyway. A few months ago, I wasn't even sure if I'd get passed the $500 mark with all those negative news and attitudes about cycling in general and more specifically in Germany and Europe, so I'm happy with the way it turned out!

Just in case you know someone who'd be willing to support me in any way or who has the opportunity to donate to my fundraising page, let me know. I tried to get more information about the LAF across to people from my hometown by doing an interview in a local paper, but that didn't recruit any further donations or support. People are always telling me that they admire me for volunteering my time and some of my money (that's pretty tight with me being a college student who has to pay for tuition) for a good cause, but when it comes to donating even a small sum, they always shy away. Oh well, I guess it's the fact that donations to the LAF are not tax-deductible in Germany, so if they donate some money, they'll choose a German foundation. It's a little disappointing, but I just can't help it.

That won't stop my involvement with the LAF and the fight against cancer, though, so I'll keep going, even if it's a difficult endeavor.

A month to go!

2007-09-14T21:50:00.000+02:00

Just got back from a 75 minute spinning session with one of my good friends, and it actually wasn't as bad as I expected it to be after not spending much time on a bike during the last 6 weeks due to the summer flu.

When I got back I received the good news that I'll get a bike for the Austin Challenge, I'll just need to get it fitted, but that's not a problem. I'm just happy that it all turned out so well and that people are just being so helpful and extremely nice. Now I'll just have to concentrate on spending some additional time on the bike, and get in shape, and all should be set.

I know that some people are worried about finding a place to stay that is in/near Dripping Springs. Here's a list of places. They were found on the Dripping Springs Chamber of Commerce website…and LAF does not have blocks at them.

Outpost Motel
26200 RR 12 South
Dripping Springs, TX 78620
(512) 858-0052

Cypress Fork Ranch Bed & Breakfast
1300 Creek Road
Dripping Springs, TX 78620
(512) 894-4410

Mt. Gainor Inn
2390 Prochnow Road
Dripping Springs, TX 78620
(512) 894-0982

Sports Country, Inc.
P. O. Box 414
Dripping Springs, TX 78620
(512)858-4407

Sunrise Exotic Ranch
25201 RR 12
Dripping Springs, TX 78620
(512) 894-0728

Tex-Zen Dreams
699 Hillview Drive
Dripping Springs, TX 78620
(512)858-5634

Also, there were some questions about what to wear during the Challenge ride. There's not an easy answer that will be right for everyone. The most important thing is to feel comfortable in whatever you'll wear. I'd definitely recommend cycling shorts- otherwise you could have a very uncomfortable ride and it won't be much fun!

I'll probably ride in a Challenge Jersey. I got one last year and I definitely would like to get one this year, too. It was really comfortable and it had lots of room to put snack bars and water bottles. But there were some people riding in regular t-shirts, too, so again- wear what you'll feel most comfortable in!

Riding with a purpose

2007-09-10T23:01:00.000+02:00

I just received an e-mail from one of my fellow volunteer mentors and I just had to pass this along- it's an amazing story of a really dedicated and incredibly strong woman who won't let brain cancer get her down. It makes you even more proud and determined to ride with such amazing participants. I'm sure each of us, who will ride in the Austin Challenge, has his or her unique and inspiring story, this is Kim's:

http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070910/FOSTERS02/709100077

Thank you Aiden and Brian!

2007-09-07T09:21:00.000+02:00

Finally, the moment to reveal who won the signed Erik Zabel Cycling jersey and the signed Dirk Nowitzki shoes!
I know I'm a little behind schedule, but first I was going through a bad case of summer flu, and then I couldn't reach the winner of the shoes, so here it is, finally.

The jersey was won by an Australian young man, named Harley (I'm so sorry for confusing you for a girl, but the same thing happens to me all the time- people confuse me for a guy because of my unusual name, so we're having something in common!) It already arrived down under and is put to good use- not by putting it in a frame, but by actually wearing it during his training rides. I'm glad you like it! And thanks again for participating!!

The basketball shoes got me introduced to a remarkable man in Canada. His name is Aiden and he was entering the raffle for his son, who is a huge basketball fan. But things changed after the raffle came to an end. His son was diagnosed with testicular cancer and his doctors gave him a 25% chance of surviving. That was why I couldn't reach him- he and his family were busy dealing with that kind of news and making plans for his future treatment.

When I did manage to get in touch, I was amazed by the response letter I received and very much touched. Aiden, his wife and his children, including the son who is a huge Nowitzki fan, had some kind of a family conference and decided to donate the shoes. They wanted me to auction them off and then to donate the money from that auction to the LAF in Brian's name. I was absolutely blown away by their generosity, but at the same time I wasn't sure if I should do it- I mean Brian won it and after his diagnosis, I wanted to give him an incentive to give him some extra motivation for his upcoming therapy.

But than he called me, and insisted on his plan. He's a brave young man, only 26 years old- and talking to him was something I'll never forget. You just can feel his absolute will to kick cancer's butt and quite honestly, I don't think that cancer will have a chance of winning. I wouldn't let him give up his prize without any kind of compensation, though, so I organized a Nowitzki signed cap and some Livestrong Challenge items for him. I'm proud to know this family and I'll put Brian on the list of names of people, I will ride for in the Challenge.

I will auction off the Basketball shoes during the next 10 days, starting today. I'll also auction off some signed sports memorabilia from German stars, including a signed swimsuit from former world class swimmer and world-record holder Franziska van Almsick.

As soon as I start the auctions, I'll put a link to the eBay site on my blog, so please check back! If you know someone interested in some of the items, I'd appreciate it if you could pass along the information.

By the way, the other smaller prizes will be shipped in mid-October. So maybe you'll get a pleasant surprise soon! A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE PARTICIPATING IN THE RAFFLE! I met some amazing people during the event- you rock!

Riding group for the 40 mile Austin ride

2007-09-05T11:24:00.000+02:00

I just got back from my doctor and I couldn't be happier about the news- the blood test came back all clear, so the antibiotics did their job and now it's just a matter of time and being patient (which I'm not, unfortunately) until I should be better. Thank you for all of the "get well soon" messages!!!

So, I can finally start with some moderate cycling and should be reaching my usual level of fitness in about a week. Keep your fingers crossed!

Just over a month to go... I can't believe we're actually this close to the Austin Challenge! The date was always very far away in the back of my calendar, but now it's right there. I put the Austin elevation profiles on my wall, so I can see it whenever I'm working on my PC, and I'll put the list of names to honor during the Challenge just next to the profiles, to keep me motivated.

If anyone of you will ride the 40 miles in Austin, this might be interesting:
I'm riding the 40 miles with a friend from San Antonio, because we both figured that it is quite important to have a "riding buddy" for motivation and support during the entire route. We're both kind of slow riders- it's more about survival and finishing the ride than racing- and we'll prove just that! The hills will be tough, but hey, it isn't called a Challenge for nothing, right?

So, we decided to start a group of participants that will ride together, stopping at each rest stop, and keeping each other motivated. If anyone else is interested in riding with our group, please let me know either by e-mail or by leaving a comment.

I already put a link to Amanda's training blog on my sidebar, but just in case you didn't see it, yet, here it is again: http://amanda-livestrongchallenge.blogspot.com/

Media coverage: Livestrong Challenge Philadelphia 2007

2007-08-27T10:10:00.000+02:00

Here, you can find video coverage, photos and/or articles about the Livestrong Challenge Philadelphia 2007. List will be updated as soon as more information becomes available.

article and video from CBS3- Philadelphia: Armstrong Leads Athletes In Fight Against Cancer
Livestrong Challenge Draws Crowds, Athletes
article: LiveStrong Riders rest in District Township

Also, please watch the videos from the Livestrong Presidential Forum...

Highlights

...and from Meet the Press

Germany's B-Team beats Beckham and the England squad

2007-08-23T22:53:00.000+02:00

Yesterday evening, most people in both England and Germany were watching another episode of the England and Germany football (that is soccer for those of you who aren't European) rivalry, when both teams played the first international game in the new Wembley Stadium that is being called the fortress.

Germany was the last team to beat England in the old Wembley, and they were the first ones to beat them again in the new one in a 1:2 game last night- but what upset most England fans had to be the fact that Germany just played with a B-Team and replacing 11 players, including captain Michael Ballack. Of course, the ever recurring difficulties with the English goalie didn't help either- as Mr. Robinson (or Mrs. Robinson as the English press calls him) "gave away" the goal as a special gift to Germany. But then again, the goalie seems to be a big problem for English squads for the last centuries now, so it's almost a tradition.

I was watching the game with my family, and I'm the only England fan in the house (actually, I like Wales even better: hey, I'm with low-profile teams and underdogs, and Ryan Giggs is just one of the best players ever), but there I was in my England jersey, being ridiculed by my family. I guess I agree with them, though- England played very poorly for the better part of the game.

And don't even get me started on David Beckham. I liked him in his younger years when he was still playing for Man United (he and Ryan Giggs- pure magic!), and he still is pretty good when it comes to free kicks, but yesterday, you could see him having trouble keeping up with the pace that comes with European football- he's way too slow, he didn't bring any creativity to the game and quite frankly, I can't see him playing a big role and being a leader in the upcoming qualification games that'll hopefully lead England to the European Cup next year (Right now, they are 4th in group E with Croatia, Israel and Russia being ahead of them). So he is a big star in the US, and he is good-looking if you like the type, but I'd rather see Steven Gerrard back on the team. The Sun compared him to a headless chicken, and I hate to say it, but they had a point last night.

The English press was pretty harsh on the boys, too, saying that Germany even won the singing contest- when approx. 9000 Germany fans were being heard singing and celebrating, and 78.000 English fans were not.

The Sun said it all: "What a load of robbish!" Let's just hope they'll get their butts together and start doing what made the English national teams special: a strong sense of team spirit and the absolute willingness to fight until the last second. Oh, and a new and creative midfielder wouldn't be too bad, either.

Discovering Hands- how blind women can help with early breast cancer detection

2007-08-10T14:03:00.000+02:00

In Germany, more specifically Duisburg, there's a new program called "discovering hands" where blind women are being taught in early detection of breast cancer.

There will be a new profession, called medical tactile examiners and those women will do exactly that: they'll do a thorough check up of females during their regular preventive examinations. Due to their very sharp senses, they'll feel even the smallest changes, so they actually see with their hands. This will help doctors and patients, because the sooner they find tumors, the smaller they are, and cancer patients that have tumors that are less than 1 cm are very probable to being cured. The chances of being cured in those cases are higher than 90%.

The first mte's will finish their training in 2009.

Philly Challenge mentioned in Today Show - Update

2007-07-16T15:53:00.000+02:00

First of all, I have to say that personally I do not like bull fights in French or Spanish arenas or events like the pamplona running with the bulls. I think it's both dangerous and against animal rights. I did not post this to glorify this event or the participants of the event. The LAF received upset letters following the Today Shows segment, so I felt like I'd have to mention this.

Secondly, what I think is the great part of this story was that one of the brothers celebrated his 1-year remission of testicular cancer and that he will participate in the Philly Challenge to be an active person in the fight against cancer, as well as try to get more people to register or volunteer for the Challenge. If this post or the segment from the Today show was misleading to some of you, I deeply regret it.

We are all working towards a common goal in the fight against cancer, so please consider making a donation- small or large. There's a link included in the Honor Roll, and every donation will be highly appreciated- plus a donation to my fundraising page also gives you one or more raffle tickets (for donations of $5 or more) to win some great prizes (including signed and gameworn basketball shoes from Dirk Nowitzki as well as Livestrong Challenge items), there are also some incentives for different levels of donations mentioned a little lower on this blog.

Thank you for your attention- I hope you'll join our endeavor!
_______________________________________________________

Two brothers that are participating in the Philly Challenge were featured on the Today Show this morning.

They both ran in the Pamplona 'running with the bulls' (a 400 year old tradition that generates both fear and excitement in partipants and bystanders) and were injured (but are doing okay in a hospital in Spain). One of the brothers just celebrated his 1-year remission from testicular cancer. Both were planning to run in the Philly Livestrong Challenge, but will now be walking instead. He and his brother are Team Dos Hermanos, and they encouraged people to sign up to ride, run or volunteer.

click here to watch the video

New eBay items/ training during Tour de France

2007-07-15T23:44:00.001+02:00

First of all, I have listed a few more eBay items to get closer to my goal to make it to the Austin Challenge in October. If anyone of you is interested in an item, all you have to do is click on the item's name and you'll be directed to the listing on eBay.

Matthew Modine signed Video: Bye Bye Love

Panini World Cup 2006 Germany Album- complete + Jens Lehmann extra sticker

Starbucks City Edition Coffee Mug- Berlin

Planet Hollywood Coffee Mug- Berlin

Warner Bros. Studio Store Coffee Mug- Berlin

Planet Hollywood Coffee Mug- Paris

Riverdance- The Show Coffee Mug

First day of issue letter - Moon Landing July 20, 1969

During the last years, watching the Tour de France always meant spending the afternoons and weekends in front of the TV, drinking soda and eating icecream. This year is a little different, though.

I carried my stationary bike up to my tiny living room with my mom- the room is now dominated by a bike- but as long as I can still reach my desk and bookshelves, I guess it's all right (with me being a student). So, yesterday I spend 60 minutes on that bike and today I did a 90 minutes session. It's kind of funny, being on your stationary bike while watching pro-cycling athletes climbing hills during the Tour de France. It's definitely less boring than being on that bike in the basement for an hour or more and staring at pictures of houses that my father used to built.

If I can keep up this kind of training, I should be in pretty good shape by October. Tomorrow the Tour takes a day off and so do I. I'll be at a rock concert downtown with one of my best friends that is part of the Oldenburg "cultural summer" weeks.

technical problems-solved

2007-07-14T23:00:00.001+02:00

The Livestrong Challenge website is working again. All technical problems should be fixed by now!

Back in the saddle....

2007-07-10T12:57:00.000+02:00

Yep, things are looking good again. I had a check-up following my concussion and the doc said it's okay to start cycing again. Finally! I was getting a little restless, I have to say. So, today I went back on my bike and managed to ride a whole 45 minutes until the rain started again. Man, I hate this so-called summer!! But, it's better than nothing, so I'm quite pleased with myself.

Fundraising is going well, too. I'm close to the $1000 mark, which almost doubles my result from last year. However, I'm still hoping to raise a lot more for this great cause and will continue to do so even after this season. The other participants seem to raise a lot of money, too- the 3 challenges passed the $2.000.000 mark.

There's also some exciting news for the Austin Challenge:

Texans have the opportunity to vote on November 6th to provide $300 million a year over 10 years for cancer research and programs in Texas. Because of this historic opportunity, the 5k run/walk has been changed to October 13th with the ride remaining Sunday, October 14th. Plus, the run will now take place on the Texas Capitol grounds and it'll include a rally in support of the vote. So, registered participants for the ride can now also do the 5k run/walk without any additional costs.

I'm not quite sure if I'll do the run, too, but I'll be there cheering everyone on- that is if I'll get the flight details figured out... I'm still hoping for lastminute flights to be a little less expensive.

Is it summer yet?

2007-06-26T17:29:00.000+02:00

...probably not- at least not where I'm living. It's raining almost every day and today there are some thunderstorms in the forecast, as well. Jeez, I finally started with my training for the Challenge in October and now all I can do is ride on my stationary bike- which I have to admit is very boring- I know my basement by heart and there's no TV or any other distraction.

In other news, I have another eBay auction benefiting the Lance Armstrong Foundation. It's a signed cycling jersey from Erik Zabel (6 time winner of the final green jersey for best sprinter during the Tour de France) - similar to the one I have in my raffle.

I received the jersey directly from the team, so it's a 100% genuine article- a great chance for all you cycling enthusiasts! With all the sponsor emblems: Milram, SMS Santini, Daigo, de nardi and the UCI Pro Tour Logo.

Size: XL (50)
Made in Italy by Santini- "Tilux Active Micro Hive"
60 % Polyester, 40 % Nylon
wash on cold/ 30°C

The auction ends: Jul-05-07 15:01:53 PDT and of course 100% of the money goes directly to the Lance Armstrong Foundation (a tax deductible donation for people living in the US). At the moment, the highest bid is for $70. Here's the link to the auction:
Click here to go to the Erik Zabel signed Jersey auction

There's one more issue. Ever since Karen's battle with breast cancer, I've been reading up on the illness and on people's experiences with it. Today, I got a very nice e-mail from a breast cancer survivor from Atlanta, Georgia and she told me about her involvement with the "Young Survival Coalition", an organization that assists women who are under 40 and have breast cancer (thank you Sarah for sharing the information with me). It's a wonderful group of very inspiring young women, and you can read more about them right here:
http://www.youngsurvival.org/

Challenge Route descriptions released/ Lance in France

2007-06-11T09:44:00.000+02:00

The route descriptions have been released for all 3 Challenges. The Austin Challenge will start and finish in Dripping Springs, which just happens to be Lance Armstrong's training grounds, and is called "Gateway to the Hill Country", so it should be very picturesque... can't wait to see the Longhorns. However, I'm not really sure what to think of the "steep climbs" :-)

Anyway, if you want to find out more about your Challenge, go to: http://www.livestrong.org/site/c.khLXK1PxHmF/b.2714871/k.BA74/Event_Information.htm Just click on the Info button of the Challenge you're participating in and then you can find all the information you need- route descriptions included. In other news, Lance is back in Europe. He and some friends went to France this weekend and climbed the Mont Ventoux, one of the most challenging climbs of the 2004 Tour de France. Reports say it took him 2 hours, which is twice as much as during the Tour of 2004- so that's a former pro-cyclists' idea of having a good time with some friends?!

I took my bike out for a much less challenging ride with some friends over the weekend, too. But I have to admit, it felt really good to be healthy enough to do some decent cycling again and not feel like you'd fall down your bike in desperate need for an oxygen tent after just five minutes (a feeling I experienced during the last few weeks).

Lance in Cheesehead Country

2007-06-04T17:06:00.000+02:00

As some of you know, I consider myself partly a Cheesehead as I have been studying at the University of Wisconsin @ LaCrosse for a year. And I'm still getting (more or less regular) updates from some friends there and from Steve about what is happening in the region.

Well, on June 1st, the new Trek Madone bike was unveiled at the Milwaukee Art Museum (what a great place for an event like this!) and Lance was there as well- a big surprise for everyone attending.

You can find some pictures of Lance "admiring" the bike and a short video clip here: http://trekroad.typepad.com/trekroad/madone_world_premiere/index.html
Lance also supported an event called "The Trek 100 in support of the Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer (MACC) Fund". As the enthusiastic cyclists of you may know, Trek is based in Waterloo, WI. Anyway, there are some video clips from that event, too.

For an exclusive one-on-one interview with Lance Armstrong, where he talks about cancer, his career and about cycling being called "the dirty sport", please visit: http://www.todaystmj4.com/sports/local/7800946.html
To see a short clip about the Trek 100, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/2gyvpn

"GO PACKERS!"

The end justifies the means, or does it?

2007-06-01T23:25:00.000+02:00

Today, a lot of people in Europe were waiting for news about a certain "reality show" from the Netherlands. What happened?

Dutch publicly financed television network, BNN, announced it would broadcast "The Big Donor Show". The show was supposed to be about a 37-year-old woman, named Lisa, suffering from an inoperable brain tumor. She wanted to donate a kidney before she died and wanted to choose the recipient from among three contestants on Dutch national television. Viewers were said to be able to vote for a candidate via SMS text message (for 60 cents/message), but the final determination would've been Lisa's, according to BNN.

What followed was a huge outcry not only by members of the Dutch parliament, who had a session on this topic and said that they couldn't intervene the stations plans for the show, as any intervention would be "censorship". Almost everyone thought the idea was extremely objectionably, distasteful and unethical. However, the station is no stranger when it comes to scandals. They invented "Big Brother", and showed a reporter snorting cocaine and then being interviewed about the experience in a talk-show format. Plus, the production company was censured by Ofcom (in the UK) last week for their handling of the Celebrity Big Brother racism row.

At the end of the Big Donor Show, the host informed everyone that the show was completely staged and that Lisa was an actress. However, the 3 contestant really were waiting for a kidney, but were informed about the show and played their parts. The host explained the reasons for the show as a way to inform the public about the extreme need for donor organs in the Netherlands. This discussion was meant to inform people about the whole process and encourage people to sign up as organ donors.

Okay, I totally agree with them that at the moment the issue of donating your organs after brain-death or Cardiac Death is not very popular in the media. At the moment, mucoviscidosis is the illness that is most talked about in Germany. There seems to be some kind of trend, where the media only talks about one illness and pretty much forgets any other diseases. Unfortunately, cancer isn't a major priority in the news right now and neither is AIDS.

But does a need for information about a certain issue justify a show like this- even if it's staged? I don't think so- why not make a documentary about organ donations (and no, documentaries don't have to be boring, just add some real patients who talk about their experience waiting for donors and the stories will be interesting and people will talk about it.) Also, why not talk to your politicians about the possibility to change the law. In some European countries, everyone is a donor and you have to object if you don't agree due to religious beliefs or personal matters.

There's so much you can do, but shock everyone just to get a headline in the news? I don't think so, and this whole scenario probably will have the opposite effect- it will give a bad name to the whole issue and people will remember the scandal, not the cause.

What a difference a Livestrong Day makes

2007-05-23T10:28:00.001+02:00

The goal for Livestrong Day was to recruit 500 new Challenge participants and I think everyone was a little bit surprised when the final number was released: 1,518 new participants signed up for the Challenge on Livestrong Day.
Amazing!

In Washington, D.C. 200 advocates met with national leaders to call for a change in the way we are raising awareness and funding for the cancer fight... but there were events all over the US and other countries, too.

For example, I spent my day at a hospital and talked to people who are fighting cancer right now. Later I just handed out Livestrong wristbands and it's so funny to see the reaction of people when they get suspicious of a free gift. Some didn't want to accept it because they thought I wanted money in exchange, some gave me the almost expected talk about their opinion of Lance Armstrong- (nothing good, let me tell you, but I'm used to defending the Foundation against all those talks about doping going on in Germany right now) and some didn't understand the meaning behind the wristband at all.

The funniest reply I got was from people at our local customs agency- of course the package of new wristbands was stopped in Frankfurt and I had to go to the custom agency. I told them a little bit about the LAF and about the fight against cancer and they actually asked me if I thought the wristband was a cure for cancer! Can you believe it? I think they were trying to make sure I wasn't some kind of charlatan.

Livestrong Day made me reach my first fundraising goal, too. Yep, I've officially surpassed the $500 mark- a little later than I hoped, but considering all the difficulties in my fundraising at the moment (the German cycling world is shocked with the news of years of doping in the Telecom Team- and more news about other European Teams and famous cyclists with similar results are expected) I am proud of getting there at all.

Anyway, there are some more Livestrong Day pictures and short video clips

LIVESTRONG DAY - join our team and receive 50% off registration fee

2007-05-15T13:20:00.000+02:00

Teamwork is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results
-unknown

Yep, it‘s true. If you want to participate in the Livestrong Challenge and plan to ride in Austin, you might want to consider signing up for the Challenge as part of the 2007 European Cyclists Team on Livestrong Day (May 16th, until midnight PST). Remember: you don‘t have to be European to be a part of the team- it‘s an international collaboration and we‘d be proud to have you on our team!
Team= together everyone achieves more!

This is what the Livestrong website has to say:
Take the Challenge.
Register for the LIVESTRONG Challenge on May 16th and receive 1/2 off the $50 registration fee!
Important: You need to enter LSDAY500 in the discount code box to receive the discount.

Click here to register for the Livestrong Challenge Austin (October 12-14 ,2007) and join our team!

Click here to register for the Philly Challenge (AUGUST 25-26, 2007)

Click here to register for the Portland Challenge (SEPTEMBER 29-30, 2007)

If you already signed up for the Challenge Austin and don't have a team yet- don't worry. You can still join us. Just send me an e-mail to Region11-International@mylivestrong.com and I'll help you to join our team.

Have a great Livestrong Day and be sure to wear your yellow shirt and/or the Livestrong bracelet on May 16th!

"Ignore your bike" Virus

2007-05-05T11:47:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone!

There seems to be a virus out there, something like the “ignore your bike virus“, that affected most Livestrong Challenge bloggers this week. Well, I planned to get out and ride at least twice… didn‘t happen, though. The weather was gorgeous, so I really have no good excuse- other than meeting with friends, studying or sending out lots and lots of e-mails and letters to keep my fundraising going. At least I was doing some indoor training, and I promise to be better next week!!

The German Government presented their annual report about drugs and drug addiction this week. As usual, there are some good aspects and a lot of bad ones. Let’s start with the bright side:

The percentage of young adults (ages 12-17 ) that smoke decreased from 28% (2001) to 20 % (2005)

Laws that protect non-smokers have been passed on both federal and local levels. Smoking will be banned from all train-stations within Germany, all busses, trains and airplanes by September 1st, 2007. In addition, there are plans to ban smoking from all official buildings, including schools and hospitals as well as most restaurants.

Of course, there are some negative aspects of this report, too:

1 out of 3 German adults smokes

Every year 140.000 Germans die from direct causes of smoking

Every year 3.300 Germans die from second-hand smoking

Germany sadly is among the leaders of European Countries when it comes to people suffering from skin cancer. 1 out of 5 Germans are being diagnosed with skin cancer- which ranks us 3rd in Europe, right behind Sweden and Denmark.

So, no reason to stop the fight against cancer, but all the little steps are quite motivating to keep on going strong!

Happy May Day

2007-05-02T20:46:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone!

I hope you all had a good May Day- or for most European countries: Labor Day!
Which pretty much means: a whole day to do whatever you want to do! Yeah, right!

First, I had to get up at 6. It was my aunt and uncle's 50th wedding anniversary and I was in charge of creating the present- two pages with an illustrated story about how they met all those years ago. It came out beautifully, but all the tiny drawings really made my neck hurt a lot. Oh well, it was all worth it... my parents told me it was a huge hit!

Next, I had to write an essay for college and start on a syllabus for a presentation.
The weather was just perfect and I really planned to get some training miles done- however, it was the first of the month... which means it's time for the monthly mentor newsletter for the Livestrong Challenge!

That reminds me:
Just in case you haven't heard about it, yet:
LIVESTRONG Day 2007 will occur on Wednesday, May 16, 2007. It's the LAF's initiative to unify people affected by cancer and to raise awareness about cancer survivorship issues on a national level and in local communities across the USA- but there's also an event in Ghana, Africa- amazing, isn't it?
To see what Livestrong Day events are being planned across the US, please visit the Livestrong Day Event Page.
However, it's also a great day to tell people in your neighborhood about your fundraising and the LAF in general, to volunteer at a local hospital/ visit cancer patients- or to wear your Livestrong wristband and/or a yellow shirt.

Before long, it was getting dark outside and the only training I managed to get done, was a short 45 minute ride on my stationary bike- oh well, at least I tried.

Prizes and Incentives for Livestrong Challenge Raffle

2007-04-29T14:23:00.000+02:00

The grand prize of my first major fundraising event benefiting the Lance Armstrong Foundation has been described in depth on my blog and my fundraising page: signed and game-worn basketball shoes of NBA player Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks.

Plus, as a bonus, the 50th,75th,100th and 200th donation of $10 or more via my fundraising page will each receive a Livestrong magnet to put on your fridge.

More prizes will be added as more donations come in... so please go to my fundraising page- and also tell your friends and family about this blog to get the message across to as many people as possible.

The first donations have been made on my fundraising page, so the first additional prize is a book:
"Every second counts" by Lance Armstrong and Sally Jenkins.

Please continue to donate- there's still a good chance you might win the Dirk Nowitzki shoes!!

Livestrong Messenger Bag up for auction

2007-04-16T17:55:00.000+02:00

Today, I listed some more items on eBay benefitting the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

I finally decided to part with my Livestrong Messenger Bag that I received as an incentive during the 2005 fundraising season by raising more than 500 Dollars! I only used it once, so it's in an excellent condition and I hope it raises some money for the LAF.

Frances won the auction- the final bid was $ 54.80 - thank you for bidding!

From Mentee to Mentor

2007-04-12T21:08:00.000+02:00

I’ve been supporting the Lance Armstrong Foundation for nearly five years, starting off as a member of the Peleton Project (the former name of what is now the Challenge). This was my first contact with the Foundation and my first attempt at fundraising, so a mentor was assigned to me.

Being from Europe, I was hoping that my mentor would be able to help me deal with the different circumstances and difficulties of raising money outside of the United States. My mentor was from Canada - okay, not exactly Europe, but from outside of the US, so we had something in common and I was looking forward to hear from him.

I waited for the next couple of weeks and then months to hear from him, but he didn't even write me an introduction e-mail! Sure, he did raise lots of money and I’m sure he was an excellent fundraiser, but not really a mentor. What good is a mentor if he doesn’t interact with his group of mentees?

I was disappointed, which resulted in the idea to get involved myself. Since I’ve already been a mentor for exchange students from the US who studied at my university, I was confident enough to apply. Fortunately, the LAF was very interested in having a mentor from Europe, and I started a small European group last season.

I usually get asked why I became a mentor. Some even ask me if I have some personal advantages- e.g. getting paid, getting to meet Lance, getting free entrance to the dinner party, etc.

The answer is easy: I don't have any advantages by being a mentor. I don't get paid- it's completely volunteer work. I didn't get to meet Lance and I don't have any advantages by being a mentor. We are just like everyone else in the Livestrong Challenge- trying to raise money for the LAF.

Being a mentor basically means building a relationship with participants and offering an extra level of support throughout the season. I try to send regular e-mails to the group, covering information about our level of fundraising as a group, certain deadlines which may be important to participants, updates on the website and more.

In addition, whenever a participant has questions about fundraising or the Challenge in general, I try to answer them. If I don’t know the answer or I’m not sure about it I contact the staff in Austin and then give that information to the mentee. In a way I’m an intermediary between the LAF and the participant.

Sometimes mentees have excellent ideas for fundraising or launch their own websites and tell me about them, so I can send the information to all my mentees. It helps promote their webpage and thus spreads information about the Lance Armstrong Foundation, but it’s also a great way to inspire other fundraisers and give them new ideas.

For some, having a mentor means being regularly updated on the Livestrong Challenge series - almost like a newsletter. They are not really interested in interacting, which is okay, and they don‘t reply to e-mails.

Other mentees like to keep in regular e-mail contact with me, and a few even were there when the mentors for the Austin Challenge offered a meet-and-greet opportunity during Challenge weekend. What was really astonishing for me was that although the American mentors had more mentees assigned to them, I was the only mentor who actually got to meet some of their mentees. That was something I didn‘t expect and apparently neither did the other mentors...

I hope more Europeans will join our small group this season - but either way, I can’t wait to continue working with such an amazing group of inspiring European fundraisers. I’ll definitely have a great time during the season... and by the way: I'm the one proudly wearing yellow in the picture.

Newsweek's new issue: How I live with cancer

2007-04-07T09:39:00.000+02:00

The new "newsweek" issue has the LIVESTRONG wristband on its cover. For a reason: the issue is about how people in America live with cancer.
There are many inspirational, very emotional and personal stories- including an article by Lance: "Lance Armstrong pushes for Cancer Research - We have to be ruthless" and an interview with Elizabeth Edwards talking about the emotional cost of being diagnosed with breast cancer and having to deal with recurrence.

You can check these stories and videos by going to the newsweek website: