Jenny's Story
"The Inspiration Behind the 2009 Top Fundraiser, Jenny Young"
One thing all women have in common is the fear of being diagnosed with breast cancer. I have read the pamphlets that describe the factors that put a woman in the higher risk bracket. I have never had children, for example. But the big factor is I have a sister and mother who have had breast cancer. My mother is 86 and had breast cancer in the early 90's. She had a mastectomy and is cancer free. My sister was told she had cancer last summer and is now doing well after treatment. They are both beautiful, strong women.
I have my yearly exams and mammograms, but this summer I decided to take that “worry energy” and do something positive with it. I sent a letter with pictures of Mom and my sister (the one you see here with this article), telling friends and relatives about Hope on Wheels. Part of the joy of this project were the letters and calls I received in response.
During this time, I put a lot of miles on the bike, riding on the Trace. I was committed to riding 100 miles on event day and that made me inspired to ride.
I'll never forget the day of the ride. As I rode under the pink balloons, I saw my loving husband and a dear girlfriend cheering me on. "Vida has something to tell you!" said my husband, Reggie. "You won!" Vida exclaimed. "Oh no", panted, "Some young women were way ahead of me..." Then I realized that I had won by having the most contributions. It was a memorable moment because this was the whole meaning behind Hope on Wheels and the aim of my summer project. I think the picture of me and my mom and sister in our homemade coats and hats, ready for Easter morning, melted people’s hearts and made them pull out their checkbooks. -Jenny Young
Jenny's story: "The Inspiration Behind the 2009 Top Fundraiser, Jenny Young"