Why Jordana Vered is Participating in the EPIC Walk for Cancer Care

My Dad was never going to be a cancer survivor. He was determined to be a Cancer Champion, a new term he introduced to the cancer lexicon.

He said that survivor only applies to one result, but champion applies to both results, because you can be a champion even in defeat. It provides a lot of respect for people doing battle with cancer to know that they will always be recognized as a Champion, no matter what the result.

To be a Cancer Champion, you must first acknowledge that you want to be a Champion. And then you have to put together your championship team. My dad hoped that each person battling cancer could be surrounded by their own championship team of family, friends, institutions, healthcare professionals, and cancer coaches. He was very proud of what the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation and the Maplesoft Centre for Cancer Survivorship Care provide for our community, improving the level of service for all cancer patients who are in this battle.

My dad was a big advocate for the Cancer Foundation, long before he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. But it was really after his diagnosis that he made the biggest impact, by changing the way people approached cancer. He engaged others by sharing his story through his insightful and sometimes overly descriptive e-mail updates that he also posted on his blog, The Chronicles of Arnia, and in his conversations with friends and family. In 2014, he filmed a very moving video for the Cancer Foundation’s Cancer Champions Breakfast. He wanted so much to encourage others to get involved and help the Cancer Foundation in any way he could.

That is why I am participating in the EPIC Walk for Cancer Care on September 24, 2016. I am raising money in support of the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation and the Maplesoft Centre for Cancer Survivorship Care so that they can continue to be an important part of each championship team.

Come September 24, I will have participated in all four of the Cancer Foundation’s signature events, including Bust a Move for Breast Health, Ultimate Run for Men’s Cancers, and Nordic Walk for Cancer Survivorship, and will have raised over $20,000 for local cancer care.

Please consider making a $20 donation to my personal fundraising page and become a part of Ottawa’s Championship Team.