Check It Out!

There have been a few amazing articles on the first Crush Cancer Clinic, so please check them out!

The Star Ledger - article by Eunice Lee
      Now She's Shutting Out Cancer

The Patch - article by Teresa Akersten
    Survivor to Run 'Crush Cancer Clinic'

The 1st Crush Cancer Clinic @ Caldwell College

If you are interested in having a Crush Cancer Clinic, email me (Kristen) at crushcancerclinic@gmail.com

Thank you for all of the wonderful support - and a huge thank you to Desi Giordano who played a huge part in the first Crush Cancer Clinic! Thank you to Emilyrose Havrilla and Jill Del Pozzo for helping coach, and Caldwell College and Vero Amici for their generous donations!

Sign Up!

I am very excited to let you all know that the Crush Cancer Clinic is filling up quickly! Hurry and email crushcancerclinic@gmail.com to save a spot for the clinic on Saturday, January 21 (this coming Saturday!)

The Details:
Saturday, January 21st
10am-1pm
Caldwell College-Student Center Gym
Softball Clinic limited to 50 girls- and spots are filling up!
email CrushCancerClinic@gmail.com to save your spot!

Why am I doing this?

I am a 25 year old athlete, who also happens to be a cancer survivor.


That is the reason for this Crush Cancer Softball Clinic; to share my story, and bring awareness to the issue of cancer, at any age.

When I was diagnosed with cancer, I was terrified. The only association I had with cancer was a very negative one. I only knew of grandparents' being diagnosed with cancer. I did not know of other 20 year olds with cancer. I did not know what happened to 20 year olds who had cancer. I thought only of bad things happening to me.

Slowly, that negative perception of cancer was altered with the help of reality. I realized that it was likely I would beat cancer, and go on to live my life the way I wanted to. However, it was still a very lonely journey. I did not have too many stories of hope, and I did not have other individuals to relate to. I felt I was on my own.

I hope to get rid of that loneliness that so often accompanies a cancer diagnosis. I want others to see a story of hope. I want others to be able to share that they once met a vibrant 25 year old who also happened to be a cancer survivor.

I will continue to share my story, and present myself as a example of what can be after a cancer diagnosis.

Please help support my mission by signing up for the Crush Cancer Clinic.

The softball clinic is taking place on January 21st, at Caldwell College, from 10am-1pm. Other details can be found in blog posts below.

The Details

This softball clinic will include instruction on hitting, infield and outfield, from 2 All-State athletes, Kristen Schindler and Desi Giordano.

It is open to girls of all ages!

Looking forward to seeing you there!

When? January 21st, 10am-1pm

Where? Student Center Gym at Caldwell College

How do you sign up? Email Kristen Schindler at crushcancerclinic@gmail.com with name and age or participants

Cost? $20 minimum donation (cash or check, all checks made out to Leukemia and Lymphoma Society)

How Do You Sign Up?!

The first Crush Cancer Clinic will be held on Saturday, January 21, 2012 from 10am-1pm at Caldwell College.

The Crush Cancer Clinic is limited to 50 girls, so sign up as soon as you can!

Please RSVP to Kristen at crushcancerclinic@gmail.com with your name and age.

You can either send the $20 minimum donation in to:
Kristen Schindler 
95 Hatfield St.
Caldwell, NJ 07006


OR

On the day of the clinic, you can bring either cash or a check. 

The minimum donation is $20. Please make all checks payable to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Please note that pictures of the event and all participants will be taken and will be used to help promote the Crush Cancer Clinic. 

Crush Cancer Logo

Logo created by Kristen Schindler

This logo represents a community coming together and nobody standing alone against cancer.

Being an Athlete with Cancer

Cancer has a way of destroying the parts of you that you define yourself by. I felt cancer destroyed my ability to push my body to do great things. I am an athlete, but my treatment for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma sucked away most of my energy. I played softball in college, and have invested years upon years into my athletic career. It took only six months of chemotherapy for my body to lose most of the muscle and endurance I had built up over 12 years.

I had expected to struggle physically while I went through treatment. And I even planned to give my body some time to recover once my treatement had ended. However, I was shocked when three months out of treatment, my energy had not bounced back according to the three month timeline my doctor had given me.

This process of rebuilding muscle, strength, and lung capacity, is anger producing and depressing at times. It is a constant comparison to the pre-cancer me. I am unsure if I will ever be the athlete I was before and I do not have time to train and workout like I did when I was in college. I am terrified that my body will never fully recover from cancer, and my athletic ability is the most glaring indication of that.

I have slowly learned to give myself a break, and relish in my small accomplishments. I still want more, but I am realizing I am in the midst of moving forward. Cancer temporarily took away certain self defining characteristics, but my drive and ambition to be better and push myself is one characteristic that has not been altered.

This post was originally published on EverythingChangesBook.com back in September. I was working with Kairol Rosenthal, author of Everything Changes: The Insider's Guide to Cancer in Your 20's and 30's.