The Walk to Conquer Cancer, benefitting The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, is happening September 7, 2024. It is a 21 km fundraiser (equivalent to a half marathon walk!) that takes participants through some of Toronto’s most beautiful neighbourhoods and has raised over $190 million for cancer research since its inception. This year will mark the 22nd annual Walk. Every walker has their own connection to the cause and their own reason for participating, but they are all striding toward the same goal of conquering cancer in our lifetime. One walker, Lindsy Matthews, is also this year’s opening speaker on September 7! We chatted with Lindsy to learn more. —Vita Daily
Your cancer journey has been incredibly challenging, yet you’ve turned it into a source of strength and advocacy. Can you share what inspired you to participate in the Walk to Conquer Cancer, and what this event means to you personally?
This event means so much to me personally because it represents everything that makes me who I am. I used to love taking on new challenging physical feats as a fitness professional, and when my health changed all I could do was walk for my exercise for a really long time. I also have an incredible support system and have always been a very social person, so the opportunity to share this experience with friends, family and clients makes it so much fun! And finally, being able to contribute in a meaningful way by raising money for cancer research is just the cherry on top. When I get the opportunity to change lives and save lives then I am going to take it and run! Or should I say walk??
Just today my daughter asked me, “Mom, are you happy you got cancer? Because it kind of seems like you like it.” I smiled at her when she asked, because although this question might feel surprising to a lot of people, I knew why she was thinking that and I knew what to say. I told her that no, of course I am not happy I got cancer. I assured her that if there was something I could have done to change my fate – I would have done it. But, since I have cancer and there is nothing I can do to change that, I have chosen to accept my situation, adapt and make the most of it. Life is always going to be throwing obstacles at us, and all we can do is control how we handle them. I have cancer, and it’s incurable. So now what? For me, it was choosing to find a purpose and strength in my situation, and by pursuing advocacy I have a chance to expand my positive impact in this world. This is why the Walk to Conquer Cancer is so important to me. It allows me to continue accomplishing personal goals (like challenging physical feats!) as well as advocating for others who need it – like the cancer community. I ‘like’ being the type of person who never stops living, for as long as I live.
Early detection is a crucial part of your advocacy. With Ontario’s recent decision to lower the breast screening age to 40, how do you think this change will impact the fight against breast cancer?
I believe that it was vital for Ontario to lower the Breast Cancer screening age to 40 years old, because it removes many of the barriers for women (and men) to get diagnostic imaging if they’re at higher risk, or suspect they have something that needs to be looked at closer. This is a disease that affects younger people too, and I’m hoping that this will be something more and more people will be aware of so individuals and their physicians can be more proactive. The fight against breast cancer is a lot different when it is detected in its early stages. I would like to add that more funding and resources need to be allocated to accommodate more screening, more often and reduce the wait times for Ontario’s population. We are on the right track and positive changes have been made, I hope that we can take it one step further and really make a difference.
You’ve spoken about the mental challenges that come after the initial cancer treatment phase. How do you maintain your mental well-being, and what advice would you give to others navigating similar struggles?
When I was first diagnosed with early stage Breast Cancer at 33 years old, it was a shock and I immediately went into fight mode. There wasn’t much time to process what was happening before I was deep into surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation treatments. After I was declared a ‘Cancer Survivor’ and the treatments stopped, the appointments slowed down and the ‘all hands on deck’ support wasn’t needed anymore I was left in a really weird place mentally. I was surprised that I was feeling so lost once my regular life resumed, because suddenly everything felt different, and it was interesting because almost all of the cancer survivors I met along the way had similar feelings. We all had to find new ways to take care of our mental health as we navigated our lives after something so life changing. For me, mindfulness and meditation was the biggest game changer. It’s something I always strongly recommend – it’s free, no side effects, easy to implement anytime, anywhere and every single person has the ability to do it. The second important thing is exercise. The number one thing all of my doctors recommended without fail as a huge predictor in how we get through cancer treatment and take care of ourselves after – is exercise. I always did what I could, and I can always at the very least, manage a walk. Sometimes it is slow and short, and there were other periods where I could be out walking for hours. I’d walk no matter what I was going through physically, and mentally and it always helped me feel like myself. That is why the Walk to Conquer Cancer is such a perfect compliment to what I’ve always practiced!
Winning the Speaker Slam competition was a huge accomplishment. How has using your voice through public speaking helped you cope with your cancer journey, and what message do you hope to convey to others facing similar battles?
Speaker Slam was perfect timing, and my life hasn’t been the same since winning my first competition just over a year ago! Speaker Slam is an inspirational speaking competition, and their first return to an in-person competition (after being online during the pandemic) was taking place less than two months after I met the co-owner at a random speaking event, and the theme was ‘Against All Odds’. It was almost instant that I knew I had to get up on that stage and share the story I was used to sharing, but with a bigger and more formal platform. It was basically my announcement to the world that I wanted to be someone who advocates and raises awareness around cancer, but also all of life’s battles, and how we can all persevere and live joyfully no matter what comes our way. The very first line in my first winning speech was “Last year was the worst year of my life, but last year was also the best year of my life” sums up the message I hope to convey to others. This is the one life we’ve been given, and we all have the choice to take whatever is thrown our way and make the most of it. I know firsthand that it isn’t easy, but I can say with complete confidence that it is always worth it.
As a former fitness instructor and now a life coach, how do you incorporate physical and mental wellness into your daily life, especially while managing a stage 4 diagnosis?
For 16 years I have been running my own personal training and fitness businesses, so nutrition, physical and mental health has been not only my career, but my lifestyle. After my initial diagnosis I had to stop working, and after treatment was over I felt lucky to start back up again as a corporate virtual fitness instructor during the COVID pandemic. However I needed to pivot in my career again as soon as my disease progressed to stage 4 Metastatic Breast Cancer because I knew it would be impossible to maintain a consistent ability to show up the way I needed to for my clients. At first, I didn’t work at all because my future was uncertain and I wanted every single minute to be focused on my family and just simply living my life. But once my disease became stable and it became clear to me that I could very well be lucky enough to stay stable for many years to come – I should probably find some work! That is when Speaker Slam entered my life, and turning to public speaking has been a natural, challenging and fun new adventure. Luckily, it’s flexible work so it is manageable keeping up with the demands of this disease and my ongoing treatments by allowing for time in my daily and weekly routine to take care of my physical and mental health too. The major bonus is that it feels extremely important and I absolutely love all of the people I get to meet along the way, which has given me so much strength. I believe I am exactly where I was meant to be, at exactly the right time and I can’t wait to see where my career goes from here.
You’ve mentioned that what benefits Princess Margaret Cancer Centre benefits all hospitals. Can you elaborate on the importance of supporting cancer research at a renowned center like The Princess Margaret and its broader impact?
What’s good for The Princess Margaret is good for everyone. This is something that became obvious to me when my primary oncologist reached out for a second opinion at The Princess Margaret when my disease progressed to stage 4. This is something that has remained obvious as I navigate the incurable cancer waters, along with all of the cancer friends I’ve met along the way and we all discuss what’s going on at The Princess Margaret, and compare what we experience at our own cancer centers. We all know that the research that takes place at a renowned center like Princess Margaret is going to have a direct effect on our treatment decisions.
What message would you like to share with the other participants of the Walk to Conquer Cancer and with those who might be considering joining the fight against cancer?
My legacy became something I think about regularly now that I’m in this fight, and this Walk is now something I consider to be a part of it. I want to be remembered as someone who always took any situation and found ways to make it positive in this life, and my participation in this Walk is exactly that. My message to anyone considering joining us this year in the fight against cancer is to think about what they would like to be remembered for and what kind of legacy they would like to leave. The truth is that we are all impacted by cancer in some way, and by participating in events like this you have the opportunity to make a difference in so many lives. It is truly one of the best feelings in the world, and really great things happen when so many people come together with a collective goal in mind. Let’s go change the world together!
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