Honorary Race Chairs Selected

The 2011 Susan G. Komen NC Foothills Race for the Cure® will be held on October 15 at Lenoir Rhyne University.  The Honorary Race Chairs will lead the 5K Timed Run/Walk on Race day.  A breast cancer survivor from each of the affiliate counties - Burke, Caldwell, and Catawba counties was selected.  These survivors have each made a difference in their communities.

Susan Secrest of Drexel was diagnosed on Valentines Day, 2002. She and her husband, Jonathan both volunteered the first time at the Komen NC Foothills Race for the Cure® that following October in Lenoir and have been volunteering since then. She participates in Relay for Life, and is captain of her church team. She also works with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network by sending emails and letters to elected officials and policy makers asking them to make the fight against cancer a top national priority.

Susan is a proponent of cancer research. Her son, Adam has been involved in breast cancer research funded by the national Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Grant Program. She hopes that one day we will all live in a world without breast cancer.  She is proud that 25% of the funds raised at our Komen Race for the Cure will go toward this goal.

At the age of 35, Catherine Peake was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic inflammatory Breast Cancer on August 25, 2009. At the time of her diagnosis, she had four tumors on her liver, two on lungs, one in her shoulder bones, and at least ten tumors in her right breast and in two lymph nodes.  Her daughter was 6 months old at the time and her son was almost four.  After six months of chemotherapy, her physicians could not find any evidence of cancer.  This past January the cancer came back in her shoulder and grew over a period of 3 months. She will be in a clinical trial to help stop the cancer from growing. She will probably be taking some form of chemotherapy and/or be in a clinical trial for the rest of her life because of the aggressiveness of her cancer. 

Catherine was in education as an Adult Education Coordinator until she had children. Her husband is the principal at South Caldwell High School.  She has spoken in local schools about breast cancer awareness and in local churches about how God has carried her and continues to carry her through this entire journey!

Susan Secrest of Drexel was diagnosed on Valentines Day, 2002. She and her husband, Jonathan both volunteered the first time at the Komen NC Foothills Race for the Cure® that following October in Lenoir and have been volunteering since then. She participates in Relay for Life, and is captain of her church team. She also works with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network by sending emails and letters to elected officials and policy makers asking them to make the fight against cancer a top national priority.
Susan is a proponent of cancer research. Her son, Adam has been involved in breast cancer research funded by the national Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Grant Program. She hopes that one day we will all live in a world without breast cancer.  She is proud that 25% of the funds raised at our Komen Race for the Cure will go toward this goal.

Erin Sipe of Conover was diagnosed with breast cancer over Thanksgiving 2010 at age 34.   After six treatments of chemo, a bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction, and continued Herceptin treatments throughout this year, she continues to be a model of courage and strength for her two daughters, Kara (age 9) and Anna (age 7).   After her diagnosis, Erin finished her season as a Girls on the Run assistant coach by walking with the Girls on the Run 5K only a few days after having her port placed for chemo to begin.  As her way of keeping the battle positive, Erin had her daughters and husband, Kevin go with her to have her 12 inches of long, curly hair cut by her hair dresser, and then they went out to eat pizza to celebrate.  Once chemo began, Erin had Kevin shave her head so that, as she said, “I took my hair; cancer did not.”  Since her diagnosis, she has been contacted by numerous acquaintances asking her to speak with loved ones who have recently been diagnosed.  She has done so willingly, always encouraging them to HOPE and to FIGHT to WIN to LIVE!

Erin continues to homeschool both her daughters (and did so throughout the duration of treatment), and she also teaches weekly English Enrichment classes for area students 3rd-12th grades.  She has been a public high school educator and has served as well the Director of Children’s Ministry at her church.  Her life has been devoted to teaching others, and her cancer journey has been one of her greatest teaching moments, as she has taught her family and friends how to face the future with HOPE, with COURAGE, and with STRENGTH.  Erin is a 2012 Through Healing Eyes calendar model, and will be running the Susan G. Komen NC Foothills Rae for the Cure® in Hickory this year as captain of TEAM ERIN.