The Summit Challenge event is designed to be a community builder and accessible to all.
Ask any cancer patient and they’ll tell you that receiving a cancer diagnosis is a challenge in of itself. At the Summit Challenge event, which will be held Oct. 15 in Berkeley Heights, participants will run a 2-mile course comprised of various obstacles that represent the challenges cancer patients face in their journey to recovery. The event is designed to be a community builder and accessible to all.
“We decided to create a ‘cancer journey,’” said Summit Challenge Chairperson Dr. Laura Balsamini. “As the participants go through this challenge, they encounter obstacles that are named for the milestones patients face as they travel from diagnosis to recovery. We wanted the names to correspond to each obstacle, while reflecting part of the cancer treatment process. For example, the Rings, which are titled ‘Rings of Resilience,’ represent the period when the diagnosis has fully sunk in and become the new normal. Treatment has started and it looks like it is working.”
According to Dr. Balsamini, the challenges include a variety of obstacles including ropes, rings, jumping, crawling, balancing and climbing. She noted that the course can be enjoyed by participants of all physical fitness levels and that spotters will be positioned at each challenge to assist racers who require help.
In addition to running, the challenges include a variety of obstacles including ropes, rings, jumping, crawling, balancing and climbing.
Hope is what the Summit Challenge is all about. Water Barricades, or the Hurdles for Hope, represent consultation with the experts about treatment and creating a plan to move forward. As hope and confidence grow, the Rope Swing, called the Swing of Security, embraces the reassurance that patients are receiving proper medical treatment and advice from their doctors. The patients become more confident that they can beat the disease.
Swinging Rings, or Soar with Care, empowers the patients and their family members to believe in their professional treatment, and the outstanding care that they’ve been provided. At this point in the journey, patients feel supported and better able to stay positive and deal with stress and anxiety.
Reaching the Spartan Net is the ultimate goal and this challenge is aptly named the Hero Summit. The final tests and checkups are in this stage. This is the last obstacle before the patient is officially given the official “cancer free” diagnosis and successfully crosses the finish line.
The Summit Challenge inspires individuals and teams alike to cheer on the participating athletes and patients.
The Summit Challenge inspires individuals and teams alike to cheer on the participating athletes and patients. By sharing the journey and raising donations, the Summit Challenge invites the entire community to watch the race and attend an uplifting festival that features music, food trucks, an activity-filled kids zone, physio-massage therapy and a vendor area.
The Summit Challenge benefits the Summit Health Cares Foundation and the Comfort Project, which provides nonmedical services to cancer patients and their families.
Looking at the latest cancer statistics, according to the American Cancer Society, there is much reason for hope. Deaths from the four most prevalent cancer areas — breast, colorectal, lung and prostate — are on the decline. A sharp drop in cancer-related deaths over three decades translates to 3.8 million lives saved, and many of those patients are alive thanks to the numerous advances in the diagnosis and treatment of the most prevalent cancers.
But there is also cause for concern. Incidence rates for some of these prevalent cancers are increasing.
To help support cancer patients and their families, there’s still time to sign up for the Summit Challenge, taking place Oct. 15 at the Mount Carmel Society, 56 River Road in Berkeley Heights. Those who can’t participate but would like to show their support for cancer patients also can donate to support the event. For more information, visit takethesummitchallenge.com.
— Stan Lemond
