Breast Cancer made me run toward my future, not away from it…
June 28th, 2015 I finally did it! I beat my own personal goal and ran the Harrisburg Half Marathon in just under 2 hours! I was literally on a high all day. Then evening came and while doing a self-exam I found a lump in my right breast. 36 years old and I found a lump. Fear and denial all at once. I was terrified but come-on, this couldn’t happen to me! I’m a runner, I eat healthily, I take good care of myself, surely it was nothing. Within 4 weeks I had a double mastectomy and a full treatment plan of chemotherapy, radiation, and a hysterectomy. No more running they said. Not for awhile.
I became very involved with outreach. I made it my mission to get involved with the Feel Your Boobies Foundation because that is where I got the message that sank in…DO SELF-EXAMS! Know your body. From Bras Across the Bridge to college outreach, no amount of time or energy I put into fundraising seemed like enough to pay it forward.
It’s 2018 now and my hair is ALMOST down to my shoulders FINALLY! I ran the Las Vegas Half Marathon and the Crawlin Crab Half Marathon in 2016, and just a few months ago the Dublin Half Marathon! I became a certified hot yoga instructor and I also teach yoga to senior citizens.
When I was diagnosed I started to wonder how much longer I would be around. Those words change who you are, all the way down to your core. There are two ways to look at awful things that happen to us in life. They are either a tragedy or a lesson. My diagnosis was a lesson. Life is shorter than you think. There is less time than we think, so run toward all the amazing things you want to do and run full speed.
I’m turning 40 in November and I couldn’t be more excited. I made it to 40!! Every day is a gift.
Bria Gaumer, Survivor
Bria is a yoga instructor at several studios in Central Pennsylvania. She has been a runner for thirteen years and a yoga practitioner for six. She is passionate about health, kindness and animal rescue. She lives with her husband Ben and her two step-children.
Published: October 2018