Teresa Phillips is busy training for One Walk to Conquer Cancer and like many participants, she is a cancer survivor.
Her diagnosis came as a bit of a surprise.
“I was diagnosed actually on my 41st birthday, April of 2015. I was nursing a torn hamstring and I was gaining a little bit of weight so I went to see the doctor, doctor said, you have breast cancer,” she said.
Phillips is a fitness instructor and she is convinced that her level of fitness was a big advantage.
“My doctor had said to me that, you're gonna have to take the next year and a half if not two years off from teaching cause it's a physically demanding job. I said, no that's not gonna happen, so I kind of jumped in with it full force,” she said.
She went back to teaching and participated in the 2016 walk.
Her efforts have come to the attention of the Alberta Cancer Foundation.
Pema Lektsog is the executive director of fund development at the foundation's Calgary office and says Phillips represents a large number of cancer patients and survivors who show courage and commitment in battling the nation's number one killer.
“Teresa is really a wonderful example of someone who helps us spread that message you know that this is unfortunately, cancer is the leading cause of death of all Canadians but it's something that we don't have to stand still or sit down and take over,” said Lektsog.
Phillips will be walking this weekend and she is also committed to doing one push-up for every dollar she raises.
For what she's doing to raise awareness and money for the Alberta Cancer Foundation, Teresa Phillips is our Inspiring Albertan this week.
(With files from Darrel Janz)
