Kim Kanmacher remembers the day when she first found out she had cancer.
It was an awful day. What made it worse was that day in the summer of 2017 was the same day one of her granddaughters was celebrating her birthday.
She admits it was a tough journey.
Now being cancer free for almost exactly a year, the running enthusiast was named the Honourary Relay For Life Survivor at the Relay For Life event launch held today at Active Running & Therapy Centre on Fisher Street.
The North Bay Relay for Life event is a huge Canadian Cancer Society fundraiser.
This year’s event will take place on June 21st at CFB North Bay’s track.
Kanmacher will lead the survivor lap to open things up at 6 p.m. that day. She believes being the Relay for Life survivor is a great opportunity for her and other survivors to come together and celebrate their battle over cancer.
“Many people describe my cancer journey as I may have made it look easy but I can tell you there were some very dark days,” said Kanmacher, who is already planning her second post cancer free marathon this summer in Nashville.
“To be able to get together with relay survivors is next to none and it is also for us a way to recognize and honour those that we have lost in the past.”
Relay for Life chair Tracy Davis, believes Kanmacher’s story is a great example of perseverance and resilience.
“Her story just speaks to the thousands of people that maybe are struggling to get out of bed in the morning, that are really struggling to find community for themselves,” said Davis.
“The Cancer Society provides that for people, they have people that will drive you to appointments so her getting that message out there is going to offer that to other people hopefully.”
