We Can Do Hard Things… And We Should

Skate. Flow. Repeat.
Movement doesn’t have to be a punishment, find the thing that makes you feel alive and do it relentlessly. ✨

Yesterday, I roller-skated 28 miles around Lake Tahoe.

It was part of Skate the Lake, a powerful event hosted by Boarding for Breast Cancer (B4BC). Their Summer Skate Series raises funds and awareness for breast cancer prevention and survivorship, through movement, community, and purpose.

It was gorgeous. It was humbling.
And by mile 25, my legs were seizing up with cramps that stopped me in my tracks.

And you know what I thought?

If this hurts for me, a healthy, trained, able-bodied woman, how must it feel to fight every day in a body that’s already been through surgery, chemo, radiation, fear, fatigue, and all the unknowns of a cancer diagnosis?

I thought about the folks skating beside me who’ve survived. I thought about the ones who didn’t. And I thought about how many lives are changed forever by this disease, not just physically, but emotionally, financially, and socially.

And I kept rolling.

Because if they can fight, so can I.

Cancer doesn’t care if we’re busy. It doesn’t wait for a good time.
But many of the risks can be reduced with lifestyle.

We don’t talk about this enough, but we should:

• Exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of at least 13 types of cancer (including breast, colon, and endometrial) and can improve treatment outcomes and quality of life during and after treatment.
• Nutrition plays a major role, too. A diet high in ultra-processed foods and sugar has been associated with higher cancer risk. A colorful, mostly whole-food diet high in fiber, healthy fats, and antioxidants supports cell repair, hormone regulation, and immune function.
• Body composition matters, not because of weight stigma, but because excess visceral fat is linked with inflammation, insulin resistance, and hormone imbalances that drive cancer growth.

These aren’t scare tactics. They’re tools.

But we don’t get these tools from our standard systems.

The Standard American Diet? Built for overconsumption, not nourishment.
Mainstream fitness culture? Focused on aesthetics over health.
And most of us? Exhausted, confused, and overwhelmed.

We’re think that health is out of reach, or only available to those with money, time, or a certain body type.

But I call BS on that.

Because what if health was simply a daily practice of care?

Skating 28 miles once a year? Amazing.
Moving your body every day, even a little? Life-changing.

It doesn’t have to be a huge overhaul. Start here:

• Add one 10-minute walk after a meal.
• Fill half your plate with plants.
• Reduce alcohol (yes, it’s linked to increased cancer risk).
• Strength train twice a week, bodyweight only is great!
• Learn how to breathe, rest, and self-regulate.

The fight isn’t always obvious.
But the strongest resistance to disease is often invisible:
It’s the walk you take instead of doom scrolling.
The water you drink instead of soda.
The sleep you protect instead of powering through.

You don’t need to be perfect.
You just need to keep showing up.

We live in a time where comfort is king, and that’s not always good for us.

We’re surrounded by convenience, but we’ve lost the ability to endure discomfort.

And when we lose that skill, we forget how to fight.
We give up our power without even knowing it.

So let’s take it back.

Let’s roll, hike, lift, eat, rest, and show up, on purpose.
Let’s live like we matter, because we do!
And let’s teach the next generation that strength isn’t just physical, it’s a choice we make every day.

We can do hard things.
And we should.

With gratitude and grit,
Coach Christine