Vancouver woman’s diagnosis led to Girlfriends Run for a Cure

Joleen Skarberg insists she is just one of thousands of local women who have been diagnosed with the most common cancer among women.

But what’s different about the Vancouver woman’s diagnosis is it led to the creation of an event that has raised nearly $450,000 since its inception 10 years ago. Months after Skarberg’s diagnosis, her friend Sherri McMillan hosted the first Girlfriends Half Marathon (it’s now the Girlfriends Run for a Cure) as a tribute to Skarberg.

More than 400 people signed up for the inaugural event. Since then, registration has been capped at 3,000 people and the event has added race distances, changed names and donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to local and national nonprofit organizations.

“The coolest thing is we started this for Joleen,” McMillan said before last year’s 10th annual event. McMillan owns Northwest Personal Training and Why Racing Events, which hosts the event.

A shocking diagnosis

Skarberg, who was 55 at the time, received a mammogram in July 2006. That December, she felt something in her left breast. The area was tender; she assumed she had pulled a muscle while working out. But a visit to the doctor in February 2007 revealed Skarberg had an aggressive, hormone-receptive breast cancer.

“I was shocked,” she said. “I was completely shocked.”

Skarberg underwent three surgeries before doctors were confident they removed all of the cancerous tissue. The surgeries were followed by eight rounds of chemotherapy and nearly eight weeks of daily radiation treatment.

A few weeks after completing radiation, Skarberg ran in the first Girlfriends half-marathon.

“That was a pretty emotional run,” she said.

Skarberg, 65, hasn’t had any cancer recurrences since her original diagnosis 10 years ago. She sees her doctor once a year and continues to take an oral breast cancer drug. She’s also been working with a cancer nutritionist and has stuck with her regular exercise routine. Every October, that exercise routine includes the Girlfriends run.

“It’s a special run,” Skarberg said.

And the goal of the event — to raise money to fight, and eventually eliminate, breast cancer — is one Skarberg will always support.

“Yes, I had it,” Skarberg said of breast cancer. “But I’m one of many. We need to get rid of this.”

If You Go

What: Girlfriends Run for a Cure half-marathon (13.1 miles) and quarter-marathon (6.55 miles), Pink Brigade Guys/Glam Gals, and Kids Mini-Marathon (1.1 miles).

When: 9 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 15.

Where: Vancouver Landing, 100 Columbia St. Vancouver.

Why: Benefits Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Pink Lemonade Project and the Children’s Center.

Registration: Cost for the quarter- and half-marathon is $75. Kids Mini Marathon is $30. Register online, http://regtorace.com/event/213, through Oct. 13. Registration is also available at packet pick-up and the day of the race, but prices increase $5-10.

Information: http://whyracingevents.com/event/934