Dear Swimmers,

Swimming has always been a part of my life as a fun and healthy activity that has kept me occupied for hours at a time. Fast forward to today and it has now become an important journey as I navigate through the unanticipated trials of life.

My story began in January of 2012 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Thankfully it was an early detection due to the yearly mammogram screening and the treatments were the customary surgery, chemotherapy and radiation that consumed nine months of my life. During that time swimming was my refuge and I would venture down to the pool with my bald head and swim as the soothing water and the repetition of the strokes gave me a temporary reprieve from thinking about cancer. It proved to be a cathartic release and physically made me stronger to withstand the harsh weekly treatments.

A mere twenty months after my last radiation treatment I received the call that the pain in my hip was cancer. The breast cancer had metastasized to the bones and now the real fight had begun. The only words I clearly remember my oncologist saying is metastatic breast cancer (Stage 4) is incurable. Prior to receiving the diagnosis I had been training to do a 2 1/4 mile swim in Lake Washington in Seattle. My first question to the doctor was, “Could I do the swim?” He gave me a thumbs up even though my radiation treatment would end a mere two weeks before the swim. Fatigue tends to be the worst at that point but it would not stop me.

When I plunged into the choppy white capped waves my first concern was not about cancer but if I could successfully reach the shoreline that appeared to be a million miles away. Stroke after stroke I felt myself getting stronger and stronger and by the time I landed on the shore, a seed was planted on how swimming could help me and others with this disease.

Because a terminal diagnosis such as metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is physically as well as emotionally a daunting challenge, I decided to focus my days doing something that I loved. I plan to swim across as many lakes as possible bringing awareness and funding to MBC—a poorly funded disease. My first long distance swim this year was in the chilly waters of Lake Patagonia in Arizona. Despite the cold waters, I emerged triumphant and reaffirmed my mission to keep swimming. Hillsdale Lake near Kansas City will be my next swim and my goal for the summer is to swim all five lakes in Madison, Wisconsin even the big one—Lake Mendota which is six miles across. I also plan to tackle northern Wisconsin lakes and a few in Minnesota.

It is now more critical than ever for me to keep swimming, keep campaigning and keep educating the public about this disease. Swimming will be my life saver…once again.
Thank you to FINIS for recognizing the importance of swimming and supporting me in my quest.

To learn more about my One Woman, Many Lakes fundraiser, please visit METAvivor.org.

Sincerely,

Mary Gooze