The University of Vermont introduces:
The UVM College of Medicine Marathon Team
On May 27, 2012, the over 100 members of the University of Vermont, College of Medicine Marathon Team will be running the Keybank Vermont City marathon and will be joining with the Fletcher Allen and Vermont Cancer Center Marathon Teams to raise funds and awareness for the Vermont Cancer Center's Steps to Wellness program.
Our Mission Statement
To promote unity and wellness amongst our class while engaging friends, family and community members in the support of Steps to Wellness, a medically based rehabilitation and research program that serves the unique needs of Cancer Survivors.
Steps to Wellness, helps survivors maintain function around the time of their cancer diagnosis and provides a pathway toward improved fitness and quality of life after initial therapy. The program includes a physical therapy evaluation, medical assessment, individualized exercise prescription, education and the collection of physiologic and psychological measures needed to evaluate and improve the program. This research is will enhance understanding of the potential benefits of rehabilitation for cancer survivors.
A classmate of ours, who is also a fellow runner, Colleen Kerrigan, is a cancer survivor and was instrumental to helping us understand how important exercise is following cancer treatment.
“At this time one year ago I was about one month away from completing a grueling, 18 week course of chemotherapy for stage IIIC ovarian cancer. Now I’m training to run half of a marathon. Exercising after my body had been wracked by cancer, surgery and chemotherapy was so important to my healing process, physically and spiritually. Not only did exercise help me regain lost musculature and shed steroid induced pounds, it helped me regain the sense that my body was mine. As I regained some athleticism I stopped fearing and fighting my body as I had since being diagnosed, I regained a feeling of oneness with my physical self. I am so thankful that now, not only do I have my love of exercise back, I get to use that love to help others in the same situation I was in after chemo. The Steps to Wellness program is providing what I believe to be an absolutely essential service to people who’ve been through chemo. Physical exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence and it undoubtedly restores a sense of wellbeing in cancer survivors. “
Steps to Wellness: http://stepstowellnessvt.org/