FGBrutal
by Gelbro
What scares me about cancer as much as its destructive power is that it is such a mainstay in our culture that it has achieved buzzword status. The news, major motion pictures, conversations among family and friends are littered with the word. Publicity, however, is crucial to a movement. Especially when the movement is to treat and eradicate something as powerful as cancer. All of this that is seemingly positive worries me, however.
Thank God that in my life experience cancer has just been a terrible, terrible disease that has infected, changed, and taken more lives than is explicable. It hasn’t been close enough to be real. It hasn’t been real at all. Cancer has been this horrifying news story for me. This is what worries me. It worries me that cancer’s commonplace role in society can make it just another tolerable issue to be discussed, debated, and a catalyst for policy making.
In my opinion, the “I never thought it could happen to me” reaction when someone is diagnosed with cancer is very telling. The same is true when a loved one is diagnosed. The remote diseases that celebrities talk about and people run 5Ks to raise money for quickly becomes real! Last week, a father of a baseball player I coach from my 14 & under academy team called me. He had called me because he had some news for me and knew that I am doing Fight Gone Bad 5—to which he donated generously weeks earlier. His tone was revealing, and I was worried. His son’s best friend, Christian Pappas, has been diagnosed with a rare cancer. This was cancer becoming real for me…
A week after Christian received the catastrophic news he received the video above from Lance Armstrong. Christian is 14 years old. He is normal—very normal. He’s a fun kid. He’s a good student and loves soccer. And obviously, he’s a tougher kid than I ever was. Shoot, I’d be best friends with him if I was in his class, too. For me Fight Gone Bad 5, will be a mission to help Christian and other best friends, sons, daughters, moms, and dads like him.
Unfortunately, for many Americans whether cancer is “real” or not, isn’t up for debate—it is real. They are battling it, or someone they care for is. For Lance Armstrong cancer is real—and he has the power to fight cancer for others through his foundation and through a simple message like the one he sent to Christian.
What is beautiful about all of this is whether cancer is a real thing in your life or not, you too can influence this movement! If cancer has affected your life, giving is easy. But, if you are lucky enough to know it just from the cover of magazines at the checkout stand like me—IT IS TIME TO MAKE IT REAL!
You can donate to Log’s FGB fundraising page here. –Ed.
Fight Gone Blog 
I’ve lost several family members to cancer, including my father. My mother was the only cancer survivor (she died from an accident, healthy and 9 years in remission from breast cancer). Cancer has been very real for me, and I hope it never is for you, Logan Schwarzenegger.
September 16, 2010 at 11:32 PM
My mom was diagnosed with cancer on May 5, 2009.
She is currently in remission after undergoing difficult months of treatment. You are right, we could not believe it was happening in our family. There was no history and my mom doesn’t drink, doesn’t smoke, eats right, and stays active. Cancer will attack anyone.
September 17, 2010 at 11:39 AM
This post really hit home for me, exactly 12 months ago I was diagnosed w basal carcinoma skin cancer, the most common type of cancer but none the less, cancer. I never get sick, I take care of myself, and I exercise like a MoFo! I was one of those people who thought something like this could never happen to me. I was diagnosed in September of 2009 right before my first Fight Gone Bad and the doctor wanted to do the procedure before the 25th (and I couldn’t elevate my heart rate for two weeks after that) so I was like, “Hell no, I’m signed up for Fight Gone Bad, I’ve probably been living with this for years, what’s a couple more weeks!?!?” So we waited and on Oct. 9th I had a pretty invasive procedure done on my face, you can check out my mobile upload pics on fb;) what was thought to be a few cancer cells was actually deeper and spreading more than any of us imagined. I’m in no way trying to compare my little bit of skin cancer to the individuals who have had to undergo chemo, radiation and literally fight for their lives; I was very fortunate but I am reminded everyday when I wash my face or put makeup on of the fact that I am one of the millions of people who have been affected by this disease; there’s no rhyme or reason to it, we are all susceptible to it. The best part of my experience was the love and support I received from so many people, my family, friends, the Crossfit community, acquaintances, and strangers; they all had a story to share of themselves or of someone they knew that had cancer. And that’s the positive side to the pitfalls of life, it brings unity to humanity.
Great post, GLo;)
September 17, 2010 at 8:24 PM