Alumni Team

Jill of all Trades
New Jersey

I attended an Epic Experience in May 2016. It was my first time in the beautiful state of Colorado – and I absolutely fell in love! I am a strong believer in the healing power of nature and togetherness, and EPIC was able to provide exactly what I needed at that point in my life.
I am a brain tumor survivor, Ph.D., German emigrant, 3-year old mommy, avid yogi and rock climber. I love traveling and volunteering and aim to connect other EPIC alumni thrivers to live up to the quote: “When “I” is replaced by “We”, Illness becomes Wellness!”(Malcolm X)

Hospital Outreach Specialist
Illinois

I am a true Chicagoan loving her Lake Michigan summers and Blackhawks in the winter. I attended an Epic Experience camp in Summer 2016 as a Hodgkins Lymphoma survivor. Through camp I recognized the power of healing through connection and outdoor activities. I joined the board because I want to give back to a community that gave so much to me.

Social Media Specialist
Colorado

I was diagnosed November 2015, the week of Thanksgiving, with Stage IIA Er/Pr/HER2 positive Breast Cancer at the age of 38. My treatment consisted of a bilateral mastectomy with tissue expanders, 6 rounds of chemo including 18 rounds of Herceptin, 5 weeks of radiation followed by additional exchange surgery. I attended camp July 2016 while I was still in treatment. It made me feel normal to be able to do normal activities and be around people that understood what I had been going through. Epic Experience has provided me an EPIC support group and life long friendships! After attending camp, I got involved where ever I could give back to an organization that gave me so much!!

Camper Fundraising Advisor
Wisconsin

At age 58, a routine physical revealed a high PSA score. With no symptoms, I thought, "no big deal? " Well, after a biopsy, I was told that I have prostate cancer. After rounds of hormone therapy, External Beam Radiation, and a high dosage radiation, I was in a pretty dark place and never knew who to talk to about the situation. I stumbled across an article about a donation to Epic Experience and applied that night. Attending the January 17 Snow Apocalypse camp changed my outlook and gave me some dear friends that know me like no one else. When I returned home, I posted a Facebook story that raised about $2,500, which is enough for another camper. That was my goal. I'd be happy to help you do the same and give someone the chance to have an Epic Experience!

Communication Specialist
California

I am an editor, writer, reader, exerciser, nature admirer, photography dabbler, and two-time ovarian cancer survivor. I attended an Epic camp in February/March 2016 and had a blast! The combination of beautiful surroundings, awesome activities, and connections with other survivors gave me a much-needed mental and emotional reboot. I have since volunteered at two camps and joined the Alumni Team to help other survivors regain hope and live beyond cancer.

I am a nurse, fitness enthusiast, health food lover, reader, thrill seeker, positivity spreader and ALL cancer survivor.

 I attended Epic Experience in May 2016 and the whole experience has given me support, strength and belief in myself again. The camp atmosphere allowed the pressures of judgement and "feeling different" to be lifted and allowed a sense of normalcy to set in.

Being diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) at the age of 19, my journey with cancer was very isolated. I was the youngest patient in the chemo clinic and I didn't know any other young adults that had been effected by cancer. Epic was the kind of community that I needed all along. Attending camp encouraged me to open up about my cancer experience, which allowed me to discover suppressed emotions I had been carrying around. During camp I faced fears head on and left with an ignited passion for adventure! I joined the Alumni Team to help others realize that no one is in this alone.

I am a native Northern Californian and the lucky "winner" of one of the rarest cancers in the world, thymic carcinoma - an aggressive cancer of the thymus gland. Ironically, most of my professional career has been in the business of oncology, frequenting cancer clinics around the country for over 20 years. Indeed, cancer does not discriminate.

I enjoy photography, golf, cycling, working out and traveling around the world.

Finding Epic Experience was truly a blessing for me! Spending a week in the beautiful Colorado mountains with other cancer thrivers, and soon-to-be lifelong friends, while learning how not to be defined by our cancers, has allowed me to lead a positive and active lifestyle. As a member of the Alumni Team, I look forward to giving back and helping Epic Experience to continue to show others, like me, how to live beyond our cancers.