So today is chemo 2, cycle 2, day 5…

At this point in the last cycle, I felt crap. I was exhausted, nauseous and confined to the couch with no energy or inclination to do anything. But today could not have been more different. Today I’m at work for MEET CANCER DAY and the energy is incredible!

So every year, Nike runs a global event (the day before World Cancer Day) to encourage employees to take ownership of their health, understand more about cancer, and be ready to face it head on if they ever have to meet it – in their friends, their family, their colleagues, or in the mirror.

Last year, this event happened not long after I joined the company, and it didn’t really register with me – we all got an email inviting us to join an exercise class or a run. So I did the class and there were a few high-fives…

But this year was totally different – today we’ve had nearly 500 employees outside taking part in a Nike Training Class (NTC) and running laps of the track as a Nike Run Club (NRC)! 500 people! We had t-shirts printed, the campus was all branded, and the atmosphere was amazing! This afternoon, I took part in a speaker panel and Q&A, where employees could ask questions and understand more about cancer. And together, we raised heaps for cancer awareness.

It feels awesome to be giving something back, but the most impactful thing for me was just how many people took part. It’s so humbling to see how much effort people will go to – some walked the track as they’re not really runners; some ran 5 laps, others ran 25; and during the NTC, the neighbours even complained that we were to noisy!

I desperately wanted to take part, but knew it’d kill my energy for the week, and risk me not being well enough for chemo on Monday. So all I could do was hold out water for the runners, and say thank you to as many people as I could for taking part! That said, I have pledged to run 5 laps of the track when I’m not in chemo, and I’m pretty sure my Comms Manager will Nag me until I’ve done it!

Physically, I’m a little tired today, so I’m walking slowly and doing as little as possible. But yet again, the enthusiasm and buzz from people here is truly energising. I know they’re not doing all this for me, but for millions like me who either have, will have, or have had cancer affect them in some way. So there’s no way I’d have missed this for the world!

Go Nike – thank you!

#BoxyOut