Belleville woman's life inspired by famous biker

By Amanda Monahan

On the heels of running her first-ever complete marathon, Kristin Crowe was given news which would change her life forever.

On November 4, 2009 she was diagnosed with breast cancer after a physical exam at her doctor’s office.

“I truly thought I was at the physical peak of my life. So you just never know when it could happen to you,” said Crowe.

“It’s scary when you hear that diagnosis. You can’t help yourself. You’re looking death in the face. You’re thinking am I going to die? It’s the first thing you think of.”

Crowe never considered herself a Lance Armstrong follower although she knew of his battle with cancer and his work with the Livestrong Foundation. During one of her darker days she picked up Lance Armstrong’s book, a gift from a friend and became inspired. She came across a breast cancer fundraiser for 45 cyclists to ride with Lance Armstrong in the mountains in Jasper, Alberta.

“I thought oh my gosh I have to do this, this is just crazy this guy just brought me out of my darkest days,” said Crowe.

“I read his story and it was very inspiring to know that somebody could go through that type of a physical battle with cancer and come back and regain his physical fitness and well being and be so successful.”

She had to raise $25,000 to get the opportunity; within five and a half weeks and the support of others she nearly doubled the amount with $47,000.

“It just blew me away the support of friends and family and the community.  I had some great athletes from the Belleville area that surrounded me and taught me how to cycle and really kicked my butt and got me back into shape and I went out and did the ride and it was just an experience of a life time to be part of something like that,” she said.

Despite her battle with cancer, this single mother of two still had to keep her sons’ lives as routine as possible.

“I’m sure they don’t even realize it but they really gave me a reason to get out of bed every morning.”

“I was determined to not let my own challenges get in the way of their day-to-day life so it didn’t matter how sick I felt or how down I was, they gave me a reason to get up and fight the fight,” she said.

Crowe shared her story in front of other survivors and supporters at this year’s Taking Steps Against Breast Cancer in Madoc. The fundraiser started in 2004 when survivor Diane Gawley’s sister-in-law created the event in her honour.

“Our survivors seem to be growing; it’s amazing how many people in these communities have come down,” said Gawley. “I think because we live in such a small community and we all know each other that we’re touched by our neighbour across the street and if it wasn’t for my family and friends I wouldn’t have survived it.”

While sitting in a rocking chair, Gawley discovered a lump after brushing a fly off her left breast in July 2004. On October 22, she had a lumpectomy and throughout the fall and winter she went through chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

“I finished my treatments on June 7 and I turned 50 on June 9, so that was my birthday present, all done my treatments,” she said.

To date, Taking Steps Against Breast Cancer has raised over $76,000 and Crowe and Gawley are both thankful for events like this.

“Hopefully someday we will beat the damn thing,” Crowe said.