I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, at age 33. I will never forget that day. Or the feeling of absolute FEAR, the thought that this disease would literally take my life. After getting the news, I did what anyone would do. I fought. I did everything my top-notch team of doctors from MGH told me to do. And after surgery, chemo and targeted therapies, and, of course, with the love and support from my family and friends, I beat it. I've lived cancer-free for the past 7 years.

You know something, though? I cannot say that I am cured. There is still NO CURE for cancer. I can say that I'm a survivor, that I'm in remission. And believe me, not a day goes by that I am not grateful for this. But this also means, I can't stop fighting. The fight isn't over. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2015, about 589,430 Americans are expected to die of cancer. That's about 1,620 people per day.

Cancer affects all of us. For me, going through it meant big changes in how I lived my life. In 2010, at a breast cancer support group, I was introduced to an organization called First Descents (www.firstdescents.org). First Descents, or FD, offers young adult cancer fighters and survivors a free, outdoor adventure experience designed to empower us to climb, paddle, or surf beyond our diagnosis, defy cancer, reclaim our lives and connect with others doing the same. I went on my first FD white water kayaking trip in Colorado in 2011, my second in Montana in 2012, and my third (surfing in Bali!) in 2013. Pretty neat, huh?

A lot of my healing happened on those rivers, in the surf, during those solitary, "holy shit what am I doing" moments. And then there were the people I had the honor of meeting and calling my "FD Family." We didn't have to talk about any of it. They just got it.

Since my first FD trip in 2011, I've lost 3 friends to cancer. And I have friends who fight the good fight every single day. Uber, Myka, Hertz, the list goes on and on. These are the people who inspire me to get in the ring. When I'm sparring or dragging myself out of bed for a 7am training session after being at the gym until 10pm the night before, I think of them. I think about how I get to keep having those "holy shit" moments. How lucky I am to face this challenge of learning to box, that I get to share a bond with my Redline family, that essentially I've found a way to live FD-style in my day to day life. Please support FD in improving the lives of YA cancer survivors and fighters. Let's keep the gift of healing alive so that we can all continue to FIGHT.