Sarah, 34, was diagnosed with Stage 4 Metastatic Breast Cancer July 8, 2011. Her life was totally turned upside down. She had to go through 4 rounds of chemotherapy before having surgery. On November 4 she had a Bilateral Mastectomy with lymph node dissection, Hysterectomy, Oophrectomy with tubal ligation and an appendectomy. Through all of this she moved to Onida, SD, and started a new teaching job at Sully Buttes Junior/Senior High School. She was welcomed with open arms and has had a community that has stood behind her. In July of 2012, she had to go through radiation to the hip. May 2013 she had radiation on her spine and hip.
During a follow-up appointment, Sarah picked up a magazine that had free resources on the cover. She thought "Yeah, right will there be something for her." When she got home, she came across an ad for First Descents adventure camp. When she looked it up online, it did not take long to decide this was something for her. She had looked for resources that specifically were geared for her age group but found very few. This was an opportunity of a lifetime. When she went through the application process to sign up for a rock climbing camp, it was confirmed that she would only pay for travel costs. How great was that?!? Sarah went to a camp by Moab, UT, and met 14 other cancer survivors and about the equivalent of staff. It was an empowering week. The drive to fight through this cancer diagnosis was strengthened even more. In 2013, Sarah went to a FD2 level camp at Kalispell, MT. She kayaked some of the most beautiful places she could even imagine!
After camp, Sarah had this idea of Team Dak Attack. She wanted to create something that not only could bring more athletic events to central South Dakota but also bring more awareness to Young Adult Cancer and First Descents. She wants to make sure as many Young Adults can benefit from the experiences she did. This is the pay it forward concept to its fullest. She knew bringing this idea to this community would be the right choice.
During a follow-up appointment, Sarah picked up a magazine that had free resources on the cover. She thought "Yeah, right will there be something for her." When she got home, she came across an ad for First Descents adventure camp. When she looked it up online, it did not take long to decide this was something for her. She had looked for resources that specifically were geared for her age group but found very few. This was an opportunity of a lifetime. When she went through the application process to sign up for a rock climbing camp, it was confirmed that she would only pay for travel costs. How great was that?!? Sarah went to a camp by Moab, UT, and met 14 other cancer survivors and about the equivalent of staff. It was an empowering week. The drive to fight through this cancer diagnosis was strengthened even more. In 2013, Sarah went to a FD2 level camp at Kalispell, MT. She kayaked some of the most beautiful places she could even imagine!
After camp, Sarah had this idea of Team Dak Attack. She wanted to create something that not only could bring more athletic events to central South Dakota but also bring more awareness to Young Adult Cancer and First Descents. She wants to make sure as many Young Adults can benefit from the experiences she did. This is the pay it forward concept to its fullest. She knew bringing this idea to this community would be the right choice.