I did my first triathlon with my best friend Katie in the summer of 2008. Well, we attempted to... the bike portion got cancelled which meant we did the swim and the run. So we signed up for a race with her dad that October and finished our first triathlon. Ten years later, I completed my goal of doing the NYC Triathlon, a race I had been dreaming about since my first. While preparing for the race physically, I decided to also fundraise for the Young Survival Coalition (YSC).

In November 2016, Katie was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 28. While her team at Sloan Kettering was stellar for treating her disease, I learned that there was a lack of emotional support for her and the more than 13,000 young women 40 and under who are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. I reached out to the patient advocates I tweet with from #BCSM and they introduced me to Young Survival Coalition. As a co-survivor, I found resources about how to help my friend through her cancer. YSC is the premier organization dedicated to the critical issues unique to young women who are diagnosed with breast cancer. They offer resources, connections and outreach so women feel supported, empowered and hopeful.