Drew Dumaine

Racing for Sharsheret gives me an opportunity to not only support a cause that means so much to me, but also allows me to become a part of a wonderful community. As someone who has a significant amount of family history with both breast cancer and ovarian cancer it has always been very important to me to be educated and proactive about my health care.

Growing up, I watched many women in my family fight breast cancer. Seeing the reality of cancer and what it takes to truly fight for your life taught me how important it is to not only take care of yourself but also be the best advocate for your health that you can be.

At the age of twenty-four I had genetic testing done to find out if I had inherited the BRCA1 mutation that many women on my mother’s side had tested positive for following their diagnosis of breast cancer. It was a worry that I carried with me for much of my young adult life. I knew that if I tested positive it would change my life.

Much to my relief, somehow I got lucky and did not inherit this particular mutation that can raise your chance of developing breast cancer to 50-80%. I cannot express how grateful I was to find out that I just needed to contend with the normal risk of developing breast cancer. Being average had never felt so good!
 
Yet, despite my happy findings I knew that I would always remain passionate about supporting not only breast cancer research but also those who provide amazing educational resources on the topic. Since finding Sharsheret I’ve continued to be impressed by what they offer the Jewish community in both education and support. I only wish I had found them when I was struggling to educate myself about my risks as a potential BRCA1 carrier.

I’ve been athletic my whole life and a runner since high school when I first ran competitively for the cross-country team. Running taught me how to persevere physically and mentally. It became a companion that I’ve kept in my life for over ten years now. Interestingly, it took a move to New York from Louisiana and a new friend to get me racing again and I haven’t looked back since running for Sharsheret in the Susan G. Komen 5K.

My experience with running for Sharsheret and meeting so many wonderful people inspired me to set the bar higher and take on the New York City Half-Marathon. I’m so excited to face this new challenge while helping to support and raise awareness for an organization that truly changes lives.

Please, take a few minutes and learn more about Sharsheret and offer your support through a donation. After all, the more you donate the faster I’ll have to run!