Greetings, Epic Experience community! I’m Chris Chinn, a.k.a. “Burpee.” As Epic Experience’s newest staff member, I wanted to introduce myself and tell you a bit more about the journey that led me to this point. Most of you knew my father Louis “Stud” Chinn. If you didn’t, you missed out on a whole bunch of Dad jokes that left you …
Epic Experience in the Colorado Rockies
By Cathy Pipcho This past July ‘21 I was given the opportunity to attend Epic Experience, a week-long adventure camp held in the Colorado Rockies, to “experience life beyond cancer”. I had applied in ‘19 and was accepted after submitting an application, medical records and clearance from my doctor. After Epic’s own medical review I was notified I’d be at …
Life is a gift, that’s why they call it the present
Many of us have had life changing moments; some good, some bad. I had mine on March 5, 2014. That was the day that I was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer and given 2 years to live. It came out of the blue. It was an incidental finding and I had absolutely no risk factors or symptoms leading up …
New Jersey Regional Day
Such an amazing day zip-lining, climbing through the trees, and hanging out with friends old and new! As a cancer survivor, former camper, and now volunteer with Epic Experience, I know firsthand how incredibly life-changing this community is and how lucky I am to be part of the Epic Experience family. The best part of the day was watching how …
WHY I FOUNDED ‘MAN UP TO CANCER’
By Trevor Maxwell I’ve been living with stage IV colon cancer since March of 2018. Before that time, I was cruising along as a husband, father, and independent business owner. I was 41 years old and never imagined cancer would knock on the door. Then, in what seemed like an instant, I found myself in a new world of scans, …
A Gen Z Cancer Experience
Cancer has affected my life both negatively and positively. It was the darkest and scariest year of my life but also one of the most important. I was diagnosed right before my sophomore year of college. I had just made a really great group of friends and was excited to be in college. The world was my oyster, as they …
Igniting Campfires Of Hope
Coming Soon!
Beyond Cancer Series
The Beyond Cancer Series started in October 2018 as the Epic Experience Education Series. The goal was to maintain a sense of community among Epic Experience alumni, family, caregivers, and friends, while also providing information and resources surrounding a variety of topics related to living beyond cancer, everything from professional development to mental health. The series was also launched as …
Don’t Call it a Comeback – The Reason for the Season
Steve Nash, James Harden, Alex Rodriguez, Roberto Clemente, and Dan Marino are some of the most well-known sports icons who have worn the number 13 on their teams. For the first time in my life and in my cancer journey, I also get to proudly wear the number 13, as today marks 13 years of clear scans and good health. …
What difference can a dog make in someone’s life?
We met Jessex in 2010 when he was an eight-week-old puppy. He was the seventh dog we had raised for Canine Companions for Independence, an organization that trains service dogs to be the ears, hands, legs, and best friends of people in need. When you start training a puppy, you never know if he will “graduate” to live a life …