Last year my sister Karina was diagnosed with breast cancer. She is a super fit, vegan, clean living yoga teacher...how did this happen? As I sat with her through the diagnosis, the operation and recovery certain things stayed with me.

1.Her ability to keep on going with her teaching and getting through each day was nothing short of inspirational.

2.Her focus and determination in preparation for the operation and the speed of her recovery was outstanding. Back to teaching after a few weeks, challenging herself at every step forward. 

3.The support she received from her family, her students was a testament to how much she is loved and respected.   

The hardest bit for me was dealing with the guilt.. Yes guilt!  I am overweight, I smoke, I drink, I eat processed food, I don,t exercise. So why her. Why not me? Over the journey I understood.  If it was me I may not have survived. My body would not be strong enough to deal with the treatment , at the very least the recovery would have taken me months impacting my job. I simply cant imagine completing the journey she did. This was a lesson, a test, a journey we did together that made us better people, better sisters.

Visiting CLAN and talking to the wonderful staff, seeing the treatments and support on offer, not just to Karina but for me also, helped so much. They support the whole family, keep the person;s support system hopeful and emotionally healthy so Karina can focus on getting well and staying well.

Being part of Karina's journey was a privilege. We have grown closer than we have ever been and when she asked me to do this challenge with her I had no hesitation. To complete this part of  her journey at her side is a gift. To give something back to CLAN so they can continue the work they do is my honour and finally I need to be  physically and emotionally ready to Kick Cancers Butt should it ever show up at my door.

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