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Get Your Mammies Grammed......

Sunday, 06 October 2013 05:10

Photo - Team Cindy at Life Time Tri- Maple Grove.

Cindy Blackstock qualified for the 2013 Ironman World Championship at Ironman Wisconsin in October 2012 by finishing third in her age group in a dramatic finish.  In November she was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer.  After receiving that tumultuous news Cindy made three vows:  1- Survive this for herself and her family 2- Do everything she can to get the word out on the importance of early screening, and 3 – To make it to the starting line at Kona. 

The back-story:  ...

Cindy Blackstock has always kind of been full of surprises.   Growing up with immigrant parents in downtown Cleveland, she didn’t speak English until learning it from the neighborhood kids.  The last person you would think to become a Presidential Scholar in Chemical Engineering and later earn 7 US Patents.   And after stepping away from the workforce for several years to stay home with her kids, probably the last person you would think to start up a very successful research business with another “mom” from her son’s school. 

And she’s the last person you would ever think would be an athlete.  She never swam, biked, ran, or participated in any type of sport until she was an adult and decided to try to run a 10K on a dare.  But, she qualified for the Boston Marathon in her first marathon and then qualified for Kona in just her second Ironman. 

She’s also the last person you would think to get diagnosed with breast cancer, but unfortunately that was the case just 3 months after completing Ironman Wisconsin.  It was devastating news coming in a year blessed with so many things to celebrate; turning 40, celebrating her 15^th wedding anniversary, starting a new business and, of course, qualifying for Kona. 

It was turning 40 that led to Cindy discovering she had breast cancer.  It was her first routine mammogram.  Even though she never felt a lump, the mammogram showed “something”.  Later testing revealed a 6cm mass of invasive cancer.  It was shocking to hear someone in such great health and with no family history being diagnosed with a deadly disease.  It was the reality of if it could happen to her, it could happen to anyone. 

Coming out of diagnosis, Cindy focused on her three vows. 1- She made sure she identified the best treatment for herself talking with many doctors, survivors and experts.  2 – She used her voice wherever she could to get women out to get their mammograms, driving the point “if it can happen to me….”.  She drove this message particularly in the endurance community, where these athletes are probably in the top 5% of the healthiest and which typically have an air of invincibility.  She appeared on local television shows and has an army of runners and triathletes racing in their “Team Cindy” gear with the proud message on the back “Get Your Mammies Grammed”.  She even competed in the Minneapolis Race for the Cure while going through Chemo, finishing the race 2^nd overall.  3- Every doctor that she talked to about treatment options got the same question: “Will I be able to make Kona in October?”  She never lost sight of fulfilling that dream.  She not only wanted that for herself, but to show others, particularly her two young sons, of what you can overcome no matter what life throws at you. 

So while most athletes started training for the 2013 season and Kona, Cindy underwent a double mastectomy, reconstructive surgery and multiple rounds of chemotherapy.   Though there were many days where Kona seemed like an impossibility, she never lost hope.  After finishing up her treatments and a final surgery, in May slowly started to train.  It is amazing and truly a blessing that less than a year from diagnosis that she will be on the starting line at Kona.  Cindy really wants to use Kona as a platform to drive the message of the importance of mammograms and screenings.  The other message she wants to drive to others either diagnosed with cancer, or who may later be diagnosed, is that not only does life not have to end, life as you know it doesn’t have to end either.  You can still live your dreams. 

I have seen many great stories about athletes going to Kona because of hardships they have overcome.  I think this is a great story of someone who qualified for the honor to compete at Kona with cancer and has had to fight and work so hard to keep her spot there.  I hope we can further share this great story. 

ED. Cindy will be one of several special athletes interviewed, filmed and talked about during their Ironman odysseys. There's an excellent chance that her feature will be included in the televised coverage. Also, this story was provided by Coach Kris, who was not the author. We don't know who the author is.