Inspiration

I thought you might like to see a few of the reasons why I climb. In March, we had the pleasure of baby sitting our niece and nephew, Robin and Jake, while their parents took a much needed break. My brother-in-law Joel has been battling non-Hodgkin's lymphoma since the day after our wedding last year. He and his wife Amy have been through many ups and downs over the last eight months, but through it all, they have kept their heads up and remained so unbelievably positive. All while continuing to be fantastic parents to their two adorable kids!

We have also had the opportunity to spend some quality time with my mother-in-law (Marsha or "Momo" to most of us) who has been battling ovarian cancer for the last four months. Like everything else in life, she is tackling her treatment head on. She is an incredibly strong woman with a great attitude and an unending reserve of energy!

Like most of us, both Joel and Marsha never expected this. No one ever expects this. And you never want to see an individual or family have to go through this. Cancer rates have continued to escalate dramatically over the last 50 years. This is not by chance. Something has to change. This is why I climb. This is why I raise funds for the Breast Cancer Fund, as they are committed to identifying and eliminating environmental and other preventable causes of cancer. I can't fight the cancer for Joel or Momo, but through climbing and fundraising, I feel I can change the future for the next generation of mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters.