Pink The Petersen – Breast Cancer Awareness Basketball Game

This weekend I had the opportunity to be in the company of so many great women. Every year The University of Pittsburgh has a breast cancer awareness basketball game they call “Pink The Petersen”. Hundreds of people rush into the Petersen Event Center waiting to show their support for the cause of breast cancer, most in attendance have been directly affected by breast cancer either themselves or through a loved one.

I have attended this event for the last 2 years. The very first year I attended, I had just been diagnosed with the disease that brought us together. It was a weird scenario for me. Picture it, Pittsburgh January 28th…

Every year they give out free T-shirts to all who attend the game. There were 2 lines, one for loved ones and one for survivors. At the time, the tumor was still in my body, did that mean I hadn’t yet survived? I had just been thrown into this world of pink support, I didn’t know how it worked. Did I ask and risk looking as if I want attention? Did women with breast cancer even like pink? Or was I just going along for the ride because “that is what people do”?

So here I was, standing in the “loved ones” line, getting my pink shirt walking around with this pink centered disease growing and multiplying in my body. They even called for all the survivors to come to the floor to be recognized during half time. Again, I feel myself being pulled in opposite directions. Do I sit in my seat and clap and cheer for women that have already “survived” or do I walk in belief that I will survive something I don’t yet understand?

SO… in my confusion I sat in my seat and allowed the tears to roll down my face as I clapped and cheered for women I prayed one day I would be able to walk on the basketball court with. There I stood alone – clapping, praying, crying but hoping that my life would be one to survive this disease we all have pink in support for.

This year I ended up going to the game by myself (which I didn’t mind!) and it was kind of a surreal experience. Am I the only survivor who still can’t believe that you had breast cancer? I mean years later and I still think it was a bad dream. I guess the adage “you never think it can happen to you” really rings true. I am there.

Walking into the Peterson this year, I was determined to walk with my head held high and walk right into the survivor line for my T-shirt! 2 years later, and I still don’t have this disease and its aftermath figured out, but one thing I do know is that I have survived! It felt great grabbing that T-shirt and wearing it with honor! As small as the gesture was, it was a symbol of my fight, of my resilience, and it showed I had been through hell and made it!

When it came time to walk on the court as a survivor during half time my heart was racing as if I was about to accomplish a huge feat! While waiting in the wings with my fellow survivors I mingled and chatted with a few awesome women. We exchanged breast cancer stories and triumphs all while waiting to walk in our victory! When the time came, and we all started to walk out on the court as they played what I coined as my breast cancer song “Roar” by Katy Perry, I felt a freedom I have never felt before. I still can’t put my finger on it.

Was it because I was alone – not knowing a soul, standing in my survivorship with my fellow sisters not having to explain how I felt or why I felt this way? Was it because in the past 2 years I haven’t been able to accomplish the feat of walking with the survivors, something I thought at the first game I wouldn’t (but prayed) I would be able to do in the future? Whatever the reason, I walked out there, honey! I took in the experience of being celebrated for fighting and surviving breast cancer!

All in all, the game was great, although we lost to Duke. I walked out of that arena better for the experience. I stood as a young breast cancer survivor and stood in my own strength. Although I had been walking in my “survivorhood” since 2016, this moment signified the public strength I carried since my diagnosis. As always, I was grateful to rub elbows with fellow women who have been where I am, and stand, walk, and proclaim their strength after they have fought and won against breast cancer!

Yours in Pink,