Kathy Waller is living proof of the unfortunate randomness with which cancer can strike. She ate right and exercised constantly.
Indeed, she completed three legs of a team endurance race from Mount Hood to the Oregon coast. But three days after the race, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
The Hermosa Beach resident recently marked seven years from the date of her diagnosis. She is now cancer-free, but through her charitable organization, Link of Support, is waging a different kind of battle: one to help people deal with the effects of cancer that linger after remission.
The organization aims to help women who have survived cancer deal with the body-image issues that often accompany recovery. Waller formed the organization after undergoing a double mastectomy in early 2009.
She was fortunate enough to catch the disease at an early stage, but was left unprepared to deal with the effects it would have on her mental well-being.
“Once you’ve made that decision, it’s very emotional,” Waller said. “You feel like you’re going to be deformed, like you’re never going to be the same again.”
After healing from the surgery, Waller was eager to return to the gym. But she was weakened from the procedure, and her body had obviously changed. She felt nervous and intimidated about working out in front of people.
“I walked in, turned around, and almost walked out,” she said.
Thankfully, the gym’s owner was compassionate and helped her through. But Waller still felt as though she had something to prove.
She recently completed the Turn it Up 20 Challenge at Soul Cycle in El Segundo, which tasks riders with completing 20 classes in 30 days. The time period for the grueling challenge ended Nov. 20, but Waller wanted to finish it on Nov. 19 — the seven-year anniversary of receiving her diagnosis.
After Waller completed two consecutive classes to reach the 20 mark, Soul Cycle staff surprised her with flowers and a sign reading, “Kathy You’re Our Hero!”
Brad Davis, an assistant studio manager at Soul Cycle, helped plan the celebration. Davis, who was diagnosed with leukemia at 14 and underwent four-and-a-half years of treatment, said that the group exercise regimen at Soul Cycle was an ideal way to deal with the adversity cancer imposes.
“It’s an uplifting, supportive community,” he said. “It’s exactly the kind of atmosphere you want when you are going through treatment or recovery.”
In addition to finishing a day early, Waller faced the added difficulty of being out of town for several days. Last month, Waller and her sister presented at a conference of the Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Phoenix. The cancer group paired Waller’s organization with fashion outlet Dress Barn. The company closed a store down early to allow Waller and her sister to shepherd cancer survivors, armed with $100 store gift certificates, through the process of picking out new looks.
“The fun part is taking them shopping, showing them how to cover scars and things like that,” Waller said.
It’s part of the organization’s philosophy that attempts to nurture survivors inside and out.
“You should dress your best when you feel your worst,” Waller said.
