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Amy is 18 years old and was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma, located in her femur, just after her 18th birthday in November 2024. Amy was experiencing hip pain and got x-rays, thinking not much of it and was expecting to get referred to physical therapy. When she got the news that it was cancer, she remembers thinking “How me? Why me? That can’t be right.” Amy was a senior in high school at the time, focusing on studying for her AP tests and enjoying her last year of high school. It’s crazy to think how quickly everything can change. Amy started chemotherapy in November 2024 and finished her last treatment in July 2025! Amy is passionate about community service projects, and was a member of the National Honors Society, Student Council, and not to mention a straight-A student! Amy says that although she wasn’t an officer in any of these societies, looking back she thinks “WHO CARES! I should have applied for the officer positions since I was at every event, from tutoring all ages in math and English, running jeopardy nights for History, family science fun night, etc. My goal for when I get to college is to find clubs I want to be a part of, and join them.”

Ryan is 14 years old and was diagnosed with right humeral osteosarcoma last year. Ryan’s passion is basketball and his goal is to finish rehab and continue to play basketball in high school! In his essay, Ryan’s recalls a challenging time in his life when his schools basketball team was having a great season and made it to the playoffs when a couple days before the second playoff game, he started to feel very sick. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to play to the best of his ability and help the team, which made him feel unmotivated. However, his teammates reminded him how important he was to the team and that they knew he “had the strength to be able to compete with the team and help win as many games as we could.” Ryan played in the second playoff game, and although his team lost, he and his teammates were very happy with the game they played and were proud of their season! Ryan reflects on this and says how he learned a lot about personal adversity and learned that “obstacles can be overcome, if you are mentally strong/willing to overcome them and if you have strong support alongside yourself.”

Jaden was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma on his upper right arm when he was 20 years old, while he was in college balancing school, a part-time job, and the excitement of discovering who he was becoming. He had to undergo surgery to remove the tumor from his arm, and says "the tumor was large, and its location made it difficult to remove. Doctors explained that there was a real possibility that I could lose the use of my arm or worse, that amputation might be the only option. I remember feeling paralyzed by fear, unsure of what the future held. I had always been independent, and the thought of not being able to use my arm or losing it altogether was terrifying. But through it all, my doctors remained hopeful. The surgery was a miracle in itself. They successfully removed the tumor, and against all odds, my arm is fully functional today. I was told I might never regain full mobility, but here I am, making a full recovery. It’s something I never expected, and it feels like a constant reminder that miracles can happen, even in the darkest of times."

Owen is 19 years old and a Ewing's Sarcoma survivor! He says "on August 16th, just over eight months after my diagnosis, I rang the bell to signify the

end of my treatment. That moment was the proudest and most gratifying of my life. I had done it—I had survived. But more than that, I had changed. Surviving cancer gave me a new mentality, a fresh perspective on life. I now value the little things in life more than ever before. While I started regrowing my hair and looked like the old Owen everyone remembered, the changes in my mindset were far more significant." Owen loves to play golf, ski, and play hockey, and plans to use his scholarship towards his tuition for college in the Fall!

Gavin is 19, and was diagnosed with UPS and MPNST sarcoma of the skull bone. Gavin loves music and film, and in his essay he talks about a time facing adversity when first joining band. He said  "One thing about me is that I have a condition called Neurofibromatosis. The condition affects my cognitive abilities and social skills, which affects me on a daily basis. I’ve always felt like a misshapen cookie cutter, different and unsuitable. My self confidence was at an all time low during these moments, with that voice in my head telling me to just give up and that I’ll never be good enough to be “normal”. Every night after rehearsal I’d lay in bed and stare up at my ceiling for hours, cycling through thoughts of regret. I’m now in my senior year of high school. Joining band has been the best decision in my life. I’ve been able to travel across the state to compete for our school. It‘s amazing to hear the cheers from the crowd before we began the show. And the roar of the crowd after a performance. The people I met along my journey are the people I will never forget. They taught me how to march, better playing techniques, and boosted my self confidence."
 

Constance is 17 and loves to ride horses, and she hopes to ride a horse consistently again!  She was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, but is now cancer-free! She reflected on her experience going through chemo, saying "in order to receive the chemo into my bloodstream to kill the cancer, we had to go to a room where a nurse would insert a needle into my port in my chest. We found out the hard way that I could only have a 1-inch needle stuck in my port and anything less caused extreme pain. When they needed to access my port, we would wait for a long time in the waiting room before calling me back to the infusion room, and my mom would come to. Inside that room they would prepare the stickers and the needle. I always had them count to three before sticking me. Whenever I had to be stuck I prayed a lot as well. The infusion nurses never stuck me without my consent, and I wouldn’t want to change that, but it is hard to let someone stick a needle in you. Nurses would put the chemo bags on a pole with wheels, and a tube would be connected to my port, so I would get chemo. But the tube and pole were not fun; to go anywhere I had to be careful not to pull the tube and hold onto the pole while moving it when I walked. And whenever chemo was over or air got into the tube, the machine would start beeping. LOUDLY."

Khai is 10 years old and loves to ski! He has been skiing for 5 seasons and wants to keep his legacy of skiing going. Unfortunately, he missed his 6th season of skiing because he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in September of 2024 and has been undergoing chemo and surgeries since then. He says "I lost half my leg to the femur tumor that caused my cancer to move to my lungs as well. My passion is to ski on the slopes with my family, because I want to feel confident and free again. My goal is to ski with my friends and family. This week I had one of my last hospital stays for chemotherapy and I can’t wait to finish my last hospital stay next week!" Khai plans to use his scholarship to help him and his family ski next season!He says that his parents and his two sisters both share the same passion for skiing! We love to hear that!

Julia is a 16yr old osteosarcoma warrior whose goal is to become a pediatric oncologist. From diagnosis to the amputation of her arm at 15 Julia says “I truly believe that the help of the doctors helped me cope and kept my mind from going into dark thoughts…they always reassured me and got to know who I really was. No one is ever prepared to hear the words “you have cancer” but being that doctor who has compassion, empathy, kindness and overall understanding makes all the difference.” Julia’s passions include photography & animals. ”My love for animals grew one hundred times more knowing that there are support dogs out there who help others cope through hard obstacles in life and my passion is doing the same for them…One specific dog I will always remember is Gandolph, a beautiful big husky who also has cancer like me and although we could not verbally communicate, it felt as if he understood I needed his presence in my life. 

Meet Emily, a Ski Fast Foundation recipient who speaks to the challenge of having cancer as a teenager “Teenage years are filled with so much change, socially, physically, and even emotionally. These changes are at an all-time high when it comes to battling cancer, simultaneously. To stay relevant in high school, you are supposed to have the newest products, the most expensive style, and well-known social media accounts. But how does a teen keep up with these high demands, especially when they are in and out of hospitals making life-altering decisions?” Diagnose with Ewings sarcoma on her spine at 15 Emily says, “I felt weak, isolated, and ugly because I didn’t have hair to the point where I literally slept in the beanie.” Through her battle with cancer Emily realized, “that hair does not define beauty and I began leaving my beanies at home completely. It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Even though I occasionally felt embarrassed, I reminded myself of my time spent at the Ronald McDonald House in Texas, where I was the oldest kid there and I never wore anything on my head. I had inspired the younger cancer kids to not be ashamed of their bald heads and to feel comfortable having fun and living life without wearing a head covering or a wig to feel beautiful.” 17 year old Emily’s goal is to be a pediatric oncology nurse at MD Anderson!

Diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma in his 10th rib with metastasis to multiple spots on his spine and lymph nodes, Jacob has finished treatment and is currently in college at Penn State in New Kensington studying to become a electro-mechanical engineer! Jacob was inspired to pursue an EMET degree because of his Make a Wish where he made his own PC! Jacob is using his Ski Fast Scholarship for social skills coaching with his autism coach Wendy. Jacob writes in his essay, “I’m learning to separate out what is “Jacob” versus what is “autistic.” How to change me being depressed and anxious, to me having the power over my feelings. This was a huge awakening for me. I’m excited to progress in this new journey that will give me a chance to learn more about myself. I don’t know who I am as my life has always been planned by my family. This journey is about self-discovery, the pursuit of happiness and making peace with who I am and being proud of. I’m still a person, I just have a different operating system than someone without autism.

Island was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma in 2023, but is now cancer free! Island is a skier (woohoo!) and loves doing all sorts of activities outside like rock climbing, back packing, and track and field. She is planning on using her scholarship for skis that have a foot and leg brace support as well as for a ski pass! In her essay, Island talks about how big of a toll chemo took on her both physically and mentally, and how difficult it was to not be able to do normal activities and watch from the sidelines. Her leg was becoming weaker by the day and eventually she couldn’t walk anymore. Island had to relearn how to use her foot again through countless amounts of physical therapy, and now she’s looking forward to getting back on the mountain and skiing with her friends!

Brooklyn was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma when she was 7 on her pelvic bone and plans to use her scholarship at Kansas State studying Fashion Design! In her essay, Brooklyn reflected on a challenging time in her life saying “they began to notice. It’s not that I didn’t want to play sports as hard or run for so long, I simply couldn’t. I began to hear whispers around that I was just trying to get out of the exercise…This shattered me. They had no idea how bad I wanted to be involved. They had no clue how much I wanted to run, skate, and everything else…
I decided to talk to my PE teacher myself. I told her that I wanted to tell the class about my 504 and explain my past. This is exactly what I did. The class was gathered around me while I stood before them. I looked around and saw the girls that I heard the whispers from and it just made me incredibly nervous. I even thought about backing out. I had to do this. I had to keep telling myself that my past wasn’t embarrassing in any way nor was it a burden. It was a gist of life and a second chance. I went on to tell the class of my diagnosis and to my surprise, they clapped for me. Even the girls who had said unkind words before. I felt so accomplished and a bit silly for being so worried about something that my peers just didn’t understand. I even had one of my close friends at the time end up crying because she hadn’t heard my story. From this experience I’ve learned that what I see as a burden, others see it as an admirable story of success and bravery. I am truly honored to have survived such a devilish disease and get to tell my story to remember all the others who helped through my journey but didn’t get to see me finish it.”

Lilly was diagnosed with Clear Cell Sarcoma of the Kidney on January 22, 2014 and thrives on the joy of dance. As she says, “When I dance I forget about all of the bad things around me and focus on the movement.” Lilly’s mom Kellie sent the following update: Lilly had a great year of dancing! With her scholarship, she was able to attend 2 dance competitions (which she placed first at both!). She was able to purchase 2 pairs of pointe shoes as well. She loves ballet and pointe and was able to have a couple of private lessons to strengthen her pointe work. She will also be attending a 2 week ballet intensive this summer thanks to her SkFast Foundation scholarship. Thanks to all of her hard work, she was cast as Abu in her studio’s recital “Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp.” Dance is her passion and she hopes to continue training at the level she has been.

Here’s to Drew Herrell! Our Resident Ski Fast Scholarship Pickleball Champion! Drew is 12 years old and a survivor of stage 4 Rhabdomyosarcoma. Drew has completed 16 months of chemo and 2 rounds of proton radiation, and was declared cancer-free in July 2020! He loves pickleball, percussion, riding his bike, electric guitar, and rollerblading, and he plans to use his scholarship for percussion lessons and for a pickleball league! 

Emily is 15 years old and was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma in May 2024. She says she was having a normal week and was excited to get back to dance after having a surgery to remove what was thought to be a lipoma, but instead a cancerous tumor. Emily began to feel out of place in her own life, and didn’t want to tell anyone about what she was going through. Emily loves dance, volleyball, and golf, and felt like she wouldn’t know what to do without them. She wanted to be able to still participate in her passions and go to school like any other kid. Through all of it, Emily has changed her perspective and says that “there have been times on this journey that have made me really upset but never in a million years would I have thought, considering the circumstances, that I would really love my life.” She was doing really well with treatments, and says that she finally accepted that “just because I was technically ‘sick’ doesn’t mean that I wasn’t still healthy.” Emily is grateful for the support from her family and best friends, and plans to use her scholarship for her travel volleyball team or dance lessons!!

Braylyn is 18 years old, and was diagnosed with high-grade osteosarcoma in May of 2021. While playing baseball, he experienced a sharp pain in his right leg which made him unable to field the ball correctly. After several x-rays and orthopedic appointments, he found out he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in his right distal femur. During the next 11 months, Braylyn underwent 34 rounds of chemo and a 13-hour surgery to remove the cancer in his leg. Braylyn loves to play baseball and golf, and plans to use his scholarship for college to pursue a degree in physical therapy!

Meet Adelina, a 19 year old who was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma when she was 16, but is now over 2 years cancer-free! Adelina loves to travel and hopes to do more of it soon! She also loves writing and says it allows her "to connect with myself on a deeper level than conversation allows." Adelina is a huge advocate for childhood cancer awareness and plans to use her scholarship to attend CureFest in Washington D.C!

Seth is 13 years old and was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma in June of 2024. He remembers hearing the words, “you have cancer,” and feeling like his whole world stopped. Life had been perfect just before that moment, he and his family had just moved to a new house with an amazing river out back and with chickens and baby goats. Everything changed in an instant, and suddenly his days were filled with hospital stays, treatments, and uncertainty. But through it all, Seth had shown incredible courage and resilience! Seth has a wide range of passions! From drawing, engineering, and Legos to stop-motion animation, writing stories, science, and caring for animals!! He plans to use his SkiFast scholarship to continue tutoring with his amazing dyslexia tutor, who Seth says has made a huge impact on his learning journey, and he hopes to invest in new equipment for his Lego animation projects! 

Charlie was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma when he was 10 years old, and underwent 14 rounds of chemo and 2 major surgeries on his left arm, where part of his arm was replaced with titanium. Since then, Charlie wasn't allowed to play any contact sports, including soccer, but he didn't let it stop him. He says "Last summer, I competed in the Transplant Games of America in Birmingham, Alabama. I won TWO gold medals in cycling. We got to race on the Barber Motorsports speedway. Standing on that platform receiving my medals for something that doctors weren’t sure I’d ever be able to do felt so amazing. This was a reminder to me that nothing is impossible if I put my mind to it." Charlie is now 3 years cancer-free! 

Silas is only 17 months old, and has had to undergo 18 rounds of chemo and radiation. Silas loves collecting stickers and dinosaurs! His mom says "the biggest thing I have accomplished since my son being first diagnosed is just simply letting it go!! Letting all the blaming I did to staff just go as much as I wish things were done sooner. I can’t blame anyone for what my little boy is going through. We have all came a long ways and Silas has beat all odds. That is what keep this momma going. Seeing that none of this has affected my little one physically or mentally is something I am so grateful that he is able to do. He may only be 17m but man when I tell you kids are “resilient” that’s just a word compared to what it actually is. I now thank our new nurses, doctors and everyone who has been along side with us during Silas journey, instead of looking the other way assuming they are going to miss diagnose him once again or just not care for him as I do. They have went above and beyond to the point my little boy feels safe with them. To everyone out there in this world going through what we are believe me we know how you feel because I wasn’t a cancer parent either till the day my son was diagnosed."

Meet Ryan, an 18 year old with Ewing's Sarcoma who has had to undergo 14 rounds of chemo and partial hip replacement surgery. Ryan loves to ski, golf, and play video games, and talks about how skiing ending up saving his life: "I never thought that skiing would save my life. It was a normal day skiing until I had a slight fall on my right hip. The pain felt minor, but it turned out that I had a fracture in my hip. I had multiple MRIs and X-rays, but the doctors all said that the images looked funny. This is the first time that the doctors mentioned it might be cancer, but they said it would be a very small chance. So the doctors continued to put a plate and screws in my hip to correct the fracture, and they also took a biopsy of my bone. After a few long days of recovery, I returned home thinking my life would go back to normal. But on February 28th, I got diagnosed with a rare bone cancer: Ewing's Sarcoma." He had to face a new challenge, which was how to get back to a normal life, with a goal to ski again. He pushed himself at physical therapy and at the gym, and has skied again!

Garrett is 18 years old and has many passions, including Electric Propulsion Automotive, such as automakers like Tesla, Rivian, Aptera. He hopes to hold a career in business management position at one of these companies in the future. He also has a large interest in photography, and love editing photos and just enjoying the unique art that many people are able to create with photoptic technology. Especially photos involved with Astronomy as well as the developement of technology for aerospace use, and how it always finds a use back on our blue marble. In his essay, Garrett says "I was diagnosed with cancer, and so were 15,780 other kids in the US. For me, it was

Osteosarcoma that developed in my right radius, my treatment involved radiotherapy,

chemotherapy, and many surgeries. My wrist is now fused with no rotational movement, it looks

weird, and it's not normal. I missed out on two years of psychosocial development with my

elementary peers, I have knowledge and fear of knowing that my life may one day be taken

because of a similar ailment. Many that I know, curse cancer, spite the pains they have had, some

without knowing where else to put blame, blame God or a higher being. Not really because they

want someone/something to take ownership, they just want an explanation."

Meet  Sasha,  a remarkable soul with an incredible spirit! Despite facing the challenges of Ewing sarcoma, she is pursuing a career in music and has come out with two songs at just 11 years old! She hopes one day to become a famous singer and use the profits to fund research and improve hospitals in need. She came out with two songs, "Free to be me" and "Memory Tonight. " Her songs teach the basics on how to be yourself and she hopes that her music can used to inspire others to keep fighting and have hope.

  Tristan is currently in remission from Ewings Sarcoma. He used his SkiFast scholarship towards a new bike and plans to ride across the country(!) in 2026! That is over four thousand miles.

Through highs and lows, Tristan has jumped on his bike. "In between my chemotherapy, as soon as I was given the green light by orthopedics, I went biking.

Even with hemoglobin as low as 7.3, I went biking. Even on a really run-down bike, I went biking. There was absolutely no way I would let cancer ruin my dreams."

Kolton is 19 and was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma about a month before his 18th birthday. He says, "At that point my life completely

changed and I had to go through 9 months of chemotherapy right away and about 4 months in I had to

get surgery in my jaw and my leg. The cancer was in my jaw but they used a bone from my leg to

replace the portion of jaw that was removed. That in itself caused more obstacles like I had to be tube

fed and could only drink water for 3 weeks, which was probably the toughest time during the whole

thing. It was about 3/4 of the way through our basketball season as well so it definitely shifted the

dynamic of the team since i was a big part of it. I realized that a lot of people around me were more

worried about me than I was because I knew I would come out of it better and stronger and that I was

willing to do whatever it was to get back to the shape I was in before chemo. It also made me realize a

bunch of things about life, but one specifically is to never take anything for granted, especially the things

you love to do, because you never know what life holds and it can be taken away from you at any time.

Ever since I finished chemo in November of 2022, I woke up every day with a new perspective and new

way of coming at life. It also taught me that no matter what happens, you can always control your mind

to a certain extent and what thoughts come in and out and what you choose to give attention. Yes,

there were sometimes where i doubted myself a little bit, but throughout the whole thing I kept telling

myself that it will pass and to keep having an optimistic mindset and that everything would work out in

the end. I will also never forget the feeling I had walking out of the hospital for the last time in

November, it's so surreal it's hard to describe, but the best way I could put it is that it felt like a boulder

was lifted off of my shoulders that was there for so long and that day I probably cried 5 or 6 times just

from joy, I was so happy I could finally go back to what I wanted to do in my life even if that meant that

it would be a lot harder than it was before chemo."

Bryce is a multi sport competitive athlete diagnosed at 15 with Ewings Sarcoma. Bryce has been playing football since he was five years old and wants to continue playing in high school and college. He plans to use his scholarship to rehabilitate and train to greater lengths to become a better football player.

Bryce has recently faced a relapse and continues to power on to achieve his goals. From Bryce: “We as humans face adversity every day, from just getting out of bed on time or staying disciplined. I was faced with adversity the day I was diagnosed with cancer. It didn't feel real at the time, everything came down so fast. I thought I was dreaming, then I didn't know if I could play football or go to school. Football has been a big part of my life, I really wouldn't know what to do with myself if I was not able to play in some shape or form. I learned to trust the doctors, make it easy on my parents to take me to appointments even if I knew I would feel horrible in treatment. It's all part of a process to make me better. I learned that everyone has their own path, and this is just one hiccup down the road on my journey.”

McKenna was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma in 2021 and underwent over two dozen cycles of chemotherapy and several surgeries. Even during the difficult weeks, Mckenna would go skling with her family every weekend and found it as a symbol of normalcy.

"The mountain became my refuge, a place where I could cast aside the weight of my illness and lose myself in the exhilaration of speeding down the slopes.

While treatment was relentless, skiing became a beacon of hope—a reminder that life continued to hold joy and adventure. I would go skiing even when my energy levels were at their lowest. The simple act of putting on those skis and hitting the slopes felt like an act of defiance against my diagnosis."

McKenna, now a cancer survivor, used her SkiFast Foundation scholarship towards a ski pass at her local resort.

Ellie is 14 and was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma in her abdomen when she was 4. Ellie loves to do art and is also amazing at fencing! In her essay, she talks about adversary she faced in a fencing competition. "During a fencing competition you fight seven pool matches to be placed in a bracket called DE (an abbreviation for direct eliminations). When you are in DE you are out once you lose.  Now as you could imagine after fighting match after match, no matter how much you ate or drank you are bone dead tired mentally and physically. You are sweating until your hair is plastered to your face from the sweat and all you want to do is lay down in a cool bath and just sit there. You had to keep going though, you had to get that gold. Matches blurred by in a lethargic haze I made it to the finale match. My coach explained how I must lunge and quickly move around my opponent's blade to score a point. DE goes to fifteen so I need to do that fifteen times to win. Starting the match I scored almost immediately but my luck ran dry, she was testing me out and was surprised by my quickness, I knew she wouldn’t be surprised again. We went back and forth for what felt like hours, she would gain a point and tie us, then I would score.  Back and forth it went until the time ran out. We were tied, she had tied us and we had a quick break to gather our thoughts before the final minute. Regardless if we had fifteen or not the person who scored first in this final minute would win. My coach then explained what I must do to win. “She has gotten used to your feint and is no longer going for it. Ellie, you must just directly attack her, no tricks, no fancy moves, straight and plain” he said. Nodding I moved into position as the ref proclaimed our break done. “Ready set, fence!” he said. Moving forward I prepared my attack then stopped, no, plain and simple. She stepped forward into my range and I lunged, disengaged or feints, straight and true. It hit, I had won. I stood frozen, my heart thrumming in my chest, I wanted to scream and cry at once, robotically I stood up from the lunge and congratulated my opponent. It took hours for me to fully register what had happened, it felt surreal. I overcame my opponent and won in the extra minute. It was a great feeling."

Fritz is 11 years old and was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma when he was 9. Fritz has underwent two major surgeries: a mandibulectomy and fibula free flap reconstruction, as well as 14 rounds of chemotherapy. Fritz says "I have had to adapt to a different body and I have had to try new things. There are some things I

can’t do anymore because of nerve pain, but I have tried some new activities. Last winter I tried

adaptive skiing for the first time and had a lot of fun. I like being able to play and being involved

with friends. I enjoy life even though some parts of it are hard. I plan to continue to enjoy life and

figure out ways I can play and have fun that don’t feel like limitations." He plans to use his scholarship for a Alinker Walking Bike, which he says "would help me keep up on field trips or with

friends and I wouldn’t have to take breaks all the time because my feet hurt. I would like it better than my wheelchair because I wouldn’t need to be pushed and it would be easier for me to talk

to friends while we are walking because I would be standing instead of sitting down. I like being able to go places and this could take me many places my feet currently won’t." 

Cain is 14 and wad diagnosed with Metastatic Ewing's Sarcoma in 2015.  Cain has been in treatment for the majority of the last 8 years and plans to use his scholarship for his out of state hunting trips, since he loves to hunt and fish! "Most people with the situation I am in often times have to drop the things they love doing. For example,

sports are not common in St. Jude kids and other physical activities as well. However, I never had to, I was

lucky enough to carry on my love for hunting. Although, it did come with difficulties that I had to overcome to

continue. Furthermore, the walking was the hardest part as my muscles would get tired but instead of walking

further we parked closer to the blinds. Since I couldn't pull back a compound bow as I am too weak, we

invested in a crossbow. Lastly, we had to adjust my hunting schedule to days that I didn’t feel good or had

chemo."

Justin is 17 and was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma in 2019. In April 2019 the tumor was removed, as well as one of his quad muscles, and most of his femur. "After they put my hip replacement in I was told no more contact sports for the rest of my

life and I will not be accepted into the military either. So I started physical therapy to get my

strength back and after one and a half months I started taking baby steps, and after a year I was

able to walk with a limp. When I made it to highschool I started working out and I got really

strong, but halfway into my freshman year I got another tumor. The tumor was in my head this

time; I was able to catch it before it could do too much damage. Still however I had to go

through with radiation; it took all of my energy. Since I didn't have the energy to do more than a

day of school at a time I couldn't work out like I usually did, so I got out of shape and became

weaker.

When the doctors got rid of the tumor I gradually regained my energy back and was able

to march for the band at a state competition. I even got to get my strength back after going to

the gym. Life was great until a little over a year later. Earlier this year I was diagnosed with

cancer for the third time. Like the last two times I was stripped of my energy and strength. I have

started homebound school this year and it is going smoothly but I'm stuck at home a lot and I'm

not as capable of doing the things I like to do anymore.

My life is good and easier in some ways, but much harder in others. I'm still able to see

my friends sometimes and I've made friends with the nurses, but I'm not able to go to school

and partake in the extra curricular activities. It's also harder for me to exercise with my limited

energy. The worst part is I don't have an immune system so I can't go anywhere without the risk

of being sick and having to wash my hands every twenty seconds. Even With all of these

problems I'm still living my life to the fullest and enjoying it."

Jordan is a local Colorado athlete & osteosarcoma warrior who underwent a rotationplasty surgery and is using his spring scholarship to get back in the game with a new prosthetic so he can keep crushing all his favorite sports!

Jordan says, "With this scholarship, I would use the funds for new prosthetics specifically for these sports.

For example, maybe there is an ankle attachment that makes it easier to put my prosthetic in my ski boot or so l can clip into my binding itself. Same thing for biking, but there also may be a whole prosthetic that would give a better feeling and make it easier to ride.

With these new prosthetics and prosthetic parts, I can do the sports I love so much, at the same level I was doing them before my diagnosis with comfort."

Diagnosed at 5 with Ewings sarcoma she is 7 years old now & 2 years cancer free! She is using her scholarship funds for a golden retriever puppy after the passing of her beloved family pet Greco and in honor of Ralph the medical dog at Children's Hospital of Colorado. Piper entered this life with our then 7-year-old Aussie (named Greco) who was ready to be a big brother to our new little girl. Called "RaRa" by Piper during most of her childhood, Greco was loved dearly by Piper and our entire family through endless play, long walks, and lots of adventures together. Then at nearly age 5 came Piper's cancer. Greco knew first. He knew by sleeping in her room every single night for months before diagnosis-and he NEVER did that. I mentioned something to my wife about dogs and their ability to sense things in our bodies that we can't. We brushed it off, but Greco knew. He spent endless nights in Piper's room and sat on her bed all-day-long when she was gone. Then came October 31st when we learned what Greco somehow knew-Piper had cancer.

Studies show that dogs can use their crazy sense of smell (their receptors are thousands of times more accurate than ours) to recognize smells we don't notice. One study in 2019 showed that dogs can identify blood samples of people with cancer vs. blood samples of people without cancer with almost 97 percent accuracy. He knew. This turned Piper's relationship with Greco from one of love and friendship to one of loyalty and feeling protected by her RaRa.

That was Piper's first concept of dogs and their role with cancer: protectors."

Diagnosed at 13 with Osteosarcoma of the distal fibula on her left ankle she underwent 10 months of chemo and surgery. Kayla's is focused on growing her Etsy fundraising business with her scholarship @boobearstudios that supplies items for teens on the oncology floor in treatment @childrenscolo and preparing for college

Kayla says, "A dream is only a dream unless you pursue it. After my surgery, I was no longer able to walk. This made it so much harder for me to live my life the way I wanted. With cancer, you have no control. People would always tell me " You're so strong", "I don't know how you do this", but the truth is that I had no choice.  There was no choice other than to be strong.  My family always said "day by  day" and we lived by it.  Cancer was the hardest thing that I will ever face and I did it by taking it one day at a time." 

Alexandra is 21 and was diagnosed with Ewing’s when she was just two and a half years old, and has since been in

remission for about 17 years. "Growing up different from everyone, I faced many personal

struggles mentally and physically. I was always so different from everyone else and most of the

people around me, never let me forget it. I can say the biggest adversity I went through being a

cancer survivor is the bullying I received due to the way my body looked compared to all the

other young girls around me. Due to the radiation, I received, I still had/have severe damage to

my body. I always had to miss school due to constant surgeries, doctor appointments, hospital

stays and so on and I could never explain why because I didn’t understand myself. It was such a

feeling I felt that physically made me sick and I felt like I could never explain it out loud because

I thought not just anyone could understand. As a young female, I would go through so many

emotional episodes because I saw my body covered in scars every day and it never made sense

as to why it happened to me. I can now say I enjoy life more and more every day and am so grateful I chose to fight

through it all. I want to become an amazing nurse to help young kids around the world be brave

and fight through their battles together. I can’t wait to live the life I have always dreamed of

since I was a little girl and spreading the love I received from the amazing nurses and doctors I

had when going through treatment."

Kate is 17 and was diagnosed with Alveolar Rhabomyosarcoma. She completed 10 months of VAC chemotherapy, radiation, and a surgery, and loves cross country, track, and cheerleading! She plans to use her scholarship towards a personal trainer to help her regain her strength and endurance to be able to run again. "While my health has improved signifigantly, I am still not back to normal. I have a new

normal now– I study, read, and do other activities that don’t require much intensity, But what I

really want to do it go back to sports. I miss sports so much. I miss the adrenaline rush from

sprinting towards the finish line, or the anxious excitement of hitting a stunt perfectly in

cheerleading. I know things can’t go to the way the used to be, but I can create a new normal. I

want to start running again, even if it’s difficult. And I know with a little patience a lot of

dedication, and a helping hand, I can get there."

Sam went from his attention being focused on college & baseball to being told the lump in his neck was synovial sarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in soft tissue. Sam was diagnosed after a bout of strep and a swollen throat that refused to go away. The first baseman for Pennsbury High School didn't miss a game all season while undergoing chemo.

Finishing treatment at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in June, Sam noted, "I'm more conscious of my own activities than I have ever been. On the baseball field I'm competing with increased intensity. In the classroom, I have a renewed drive to explore my academics and interests. Whatever course of study I pursue, I hope to make a difference for others in the same way that the medical professionals have for me and my family."

"My diagnosis has brought a certain element of focus to my life. I am still a teenager, but whether I like it or not, some of the frivolousness is gone. I'm completely invested in my future & how I can help others. I have an intense desire to continue learning and leave as big of a mark on the world as I can."

At 14, “ I was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma & had a massive tumor on my shoulder. I was filled with sadness, anger, & worries for the future. I was scared of cancer & believed everyone who had it died or was affected massively by it. I had to stay positive & believe I was able to beat this. With my friends & family supporting me, I held my head high & took chemo with no complaints and a smile. Sometimes I was sad & hated being in the hospital for several days, not seeing my dog or brother.I got surgery on my shoulder & lost all my muscle. I had a physical therapist, she never gave up on me. My nurses helped and always talked to me, making me feel special. In these last rounds, I have felt much better than before & knew I was so close to the finish line. My mom and dad were so proud I stayed positive during the whole experience and never gave up. Going through this made me realize how strong I was. I had faced adversity when I was little. I was born with a cleft lip & got surgery at a young age. The doctors believed I wouldn’t be able to eat normally & would have trouble breathing. But my family knew I would be able to and proved the doctors wrong . They also said that I wouldn’t look so pretty when I was older and I would probably want surgery to change my face when I was 14. My mom & dad made sure to let me know I was beautiful and to never listen to anyone if they told me otherwise. I grew up loving myself and never thought I was different from the other kids in my school. No one even noticed and when they did they weren’t rude and asked simple questions about it. I have been strong and didn’t let anyone/anything change me and I have since grown stronger. “

Mason is 19 & was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma at 15 with a 10cm tumor tumor on his kidney & lung mets. “I couldn't go back to school, but I was so fortunate to meet the hospital's teacher, Denise. At first I was obviously nervous and overwhelmed at everything, but working with Denise made me feel secure. My first visit to the hospital lasted three weeks, and in those weeks I became close friends with not just her, but also the nurses taking care of me. Denise would advocate for me when I couldn't, and she would find various ways to make me feel happy and comfortable. Throughout treatment Denise would make sure I got as many accommodations as possible for school. Despite all the accommodations and Denise's help, I still wasn't sure if I would manage to graduate on time, but we were all hopeful I would make it anyway. When it was clear I would make it, I really couldn't believe it! Everyone who knew me knew how much I wanted so badly to graduate on time, and when they all found out that my goal was complete, they were also just as excited as me and my family were.It felt so wonderful to not only have survived my cancer diagnosis, but even better to make it through school successfully thanks to the help of the people closest to me. I'm so glad not just to be alive, but to be healthy enough to enjoy it. I still have a long way to go with my recovery, but I look forward to biking around for miles on end without stopping like I used to do before I got sick, with or without an e-bike. Thank you for reading my story.”

Mason is 19 and was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma at 14. His back was hurting for weeks and couldn't feel that he was losing sensation in his leg and losing stability. "I started ice skating when I was five years old in Salt Lake City, Utah. My parents registered me

for a hockey team and I have been playing ever since. I fell in love with hockey, enjoyed the

game, watching the game, everything about hockey. I grew tall at a young age and my mom had

to keep my birth certificate in her purse to prove I was playing on the age appropriate team. I

think I was a pretty good player. I was fast and could play defense and scored quite often.

For the last eight months I have not been able to play hockey, the sport I love the most. It has

been hard to watch my younger brothers go to their practices and play their games. I miss

hockey. I hope my leg will recover, with physical therapy and regain its strength so I can skate

and play again. I want to be active again instead of laying in bed sick. I want to walk with my

friends, ski with my family, go boating with my grandparents. I want to race my cousins down

the ski slopes. I miss being a teenager, going to school, hanging out with friends and teammates.

My family is active, we camp, hike and fish, we are always outdoors. I enjoy golfing with my

dad. I miss my normal life. I’m determined to achieve my goals and get my life back again."

Eliy is 16 and was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma of the right shoulder. After 14 rounds of chemotherapy and 31 days of proton radiation therapy, Eliy completed treatment! She says "It has now been ten months since I finished treatment. I completed fourteen cycles of

chemotherapy, thirty-one days of proton radiation and had multiple blood transfusions and

emergency room visits. I have to relive the fear of test results every three months when I have

my rescans and although I still have to get testing done every 3 months, I will take that over

having to stay in the hospital for extended periods of time. All I wanted was to just be a normal

teen and have normal teen experiences, but I had no choice and was stuck in a hospital for

most of my sophomore year. But I cannot help but think about those who did not make it, or

those that are still struggling and that are trapped in a hospital room for days. I am now moving forward with a new outlook on life, friendships, and experiences. I

want to experience as much as I can and spend time with the people who are deserving of my

friendship. I did not always see that way, I did not understand how you can abandon a friend

when they need you, but that is what I couldn’t wrap my head around. When my friends hurt, I

hurt. But I guess I have always been a more empathetic person. But now, I know more about

life and what you value... good friendships and your family. I am going to make the best of

everyday moving forward. I cannot play volleyball anymore and although that makes me sad, I

am going to pursue other things that I am passionate about, like art, music and dance. No one

and no disease are going to defeat me, I got this."

Nicolas is 17 and was diagnosed with metastatic Ewings Sarcoma when he was 14.  In his essay, Nicolas says: "Unfortunately, During April of 2020 just two months before the next season of football, I

was diagnosed with metastatic Ewings Sarcoma. The sarcoma was located in many different

spots, including the shoulder, vertebrae, lungs, hips, skull, but the primary spot was the

shoulder. Upon hearing this news I was crushed. Not only was I fearful for my life, but I knew

that my time as an athlete was over. Only two weeks after my diagnosis I began chemotherapy,

this required my parents and I to drive fifty minutes several times a week to receive the

treatment I needed. During this time I received high intensity chemo drugs to combat my

aggressive cancer. This medicine caused me to have severe nausea and vomiting, along with

mouth sores all throughout my mouth and throat which prevented me from eating many solid

foods. This was the absolute hardest time in my life and I had all the reason in the world to lie

around in sadness and want to give up. However, I had a drive and motivator that kept my

spirits high and thoughts hopeful. That being my faith in God and support I received from my

church and family through prayer and physical support."

Charly was diagnosed with a relapse of Ewing's Sarcoma in July 2021. We are devastated to share that Charly passed in October 2022.  

"One of the first things I tell people when they ask me about what it is like to fight cancer is that it is just as much a mental battle as it is physical. Every single day is affected by cancer, and there are always new obstacles to overcome. They range from as simple as getting out of bed and eating three meals a day to chemotherapy, surgeries, and radiation. That being said, one thing I have learned on this journey is to never invalidate the obstacles in your path just because they are lesser than other obstacles. Every challenge is exactly that, and we as humans deserve to know that all of our hardships are valid. I can use this knowledge and apply it in my life every day when I want to be angry at myself for staying in bed or not wanting to persevere through another round of chemo. By being kinder to myself and recognizing that all these problems validate my emotions, I allow myself to work through my hardships in a healthy mental state. Cancer has truly allowed me to enlighten myself on the importance of treating myself with care and how far it can take me."

Charly planned to put her SkiFast scholarship towards tuition at the University of Iowa,  to study liberal arts and focus on nursing. It was her goal to eventually apply to the University of Iowa Nursing Program.  

 Hannah who was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma of the zygoma and partial maxilla in January 2020. 

“I knew I had to be strong for my family. When hearing the words come out of my doctor's mouth it didn’t feel real. I worried what my peers would think of me and how I would hide this from them. Long story short you can’t hide cancer. At that point instead of hiding it I embraced it. While sometimes it would still get frustrating walking in public with people staring, I dealt with it.”

“After my surgery I had a big flap of skin from my leg on my face. This didn’t look normal at all. The thought of looking different used to scare me but now I have learned to embrace my scars. During my cancer journey I became closer with many family and friends. I learned not to take my life for granted and to always strive to be my best. Before I was diagnosed I didn’t know what career path I would follow. I now know that I want to be a pediatric oncology nurse. I strive to be like the nurse that I made an amazing friendship with at Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota. 

Hannah is putting her SkiFast Scholarship towards college at Grandview University where she is majoring in nursing! 

“After my cancer journey was over things changed a lot for me. I had to go back to living a normal life. Honestly I think this part is harder than the actual treatment.  Once you are in remission the community that gave you support has faded away. I went back to school and noticed the life people had made without me. I developed bad anxiety and depression from this. I started having anxiety attacks and felt as if no one actually needed me since they made this life without me in the picture. I started putting myself out there and being a leader.  Things I would have never done before cancer. This was my way of making people remember me or feel noticed. I overcame many things throughout my journey but they made me the person I am today. I would like to think that maybe I was given the journey to help me find the person I am today. The life lessons I have learned continue to follow me today.   

  Lorelai is an Ewings Sarcoma warrior who has been fighting for three years since her diagnosis at 11 years old. She has had to undergo countless blood tests, doctor visits, scans, biopsies & chemo regimens. During treatment, Lorelai had to have surgery to remove the cancerous tumor in her wrist, 7 inches of her ulna were removed in the process. “What has helped me overcome all that is the fact that I have my family and best friends to help me through it and keep my anxiety under control. Since I was 11 at the time of my first diagnosis, I didn’t have a clear picture on what was really happening. But at 14 now, I have a bigger grasp on just how serious the situation really is. It's a lot scarier since I understand now, and I am glad I was strong enough to live through it with the support of my family and friends. With their love and support I am grateful for where I am now and will continue to overcome and fight.”Lorelai is an amazing dancer who plans to use her scholarship to pay for musical theatre, tap, lyrical & hip hop dance classes to further her passion!   

Taylor is a 20 yr old osteosarcoma warrior, 3 yrs cancer free, who built a business solely to raise funds and awareness for pediatric cancer research! Check it out  KickAshCancer.com 

"The feeling of needing to do something productive with this new life that I was given and wanting to make it better for every other kid going through cancer is my main focus now. For me the hardest part was never fighting the cancer, I had no choice in that I was going to fight no matter what." 

“ Another really hard part for me is trying to live up to the kids that changed the world in the time that they were given. This is the part of my journey where I think that if I gave up and just never talked about childhood cancer again and never looked back no one would blame me but I couldn’t do that to Campbell and Megan and all the other kids.” 

“When I need strength I draw it from them because they changed the world. I’ve chosen to use my voice and give presentations on childhood cancer in hopes to get the word out and raise awareness. These presentations are not easy and give me sweaty palms every time but I tell myself that Campbell is proud of me and cheering me on and so I choose to make her proud rather than give up and say I’ve had enough. Cancer has given me a story to tell and a reason to tell it and I will continue to do so."

We love you so much Taylor!! Keep kicking Ash!! 

Cheering for Landon! Spring training for football in April of his freshmen year (2019), Landon was experiencing pain in his right shoulder during workouts and his family started the search for answers. September 2019 a tumor in Landon’s right shoulder was diagnosed as Ewings Sarcoma. “Immediately, in one moment, my life changed. Scans showed that the cancer was localized to my scapula. On October 23, 2021 I started treatment, which included 14 rounds of chemotherapy, 25 rounds of proton radiation, and a major surgery where the top part of my right shoulder was completely removed. The goal for my arm function after surgery was to be able to lift my arm high enough to comb my hair, but I was told I would never have full use of my right arm again”. 

Landon blew through all expectations and recovered full range of motion in his arm, suiting up spring of his junior year to play football again! May 2021, Landon’s scans showed a localized relapse and he battled again through treatment and PT and is currently cancer free! 

“I have learned so much through this journey and am 100% a better person for it. Cancer does not define me, but it has changed the course of how I live my life and what I will accomplish. I have been under the care of a Physical Therapist for the past two years, and I’ve witnessed firsthand the importance of the work done by a PT. My PT gave me back the ability to use my arm. I believe I have a unique motivation and inspiration to achieve my goals and dreams in pursuing the profession of Physical Therapy.

I want to specialize in pediatric oncology, and it is my passion to help other kids and teenagers like  myself, whose abilities are impacted by cancer. As a result of my cancer journey the past two years, I have a different outlook on life. I do not set goals lightly. Through my experiences, I have gained a strength and motivation that most other students my age cannot relate to. I am a hard worker, and I have big goals I want to achieve in my lifetime.”

 “I have overcome personal adversity many times in my life but nothing could have prepared me for the 2021-2022 year.” Brooklynn not only faced the crushing loss of her father in high school but was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma less than a year later. Brooklynn has tackled adversity by talking to friends and creating new hobbies. “I traveled with my family, celebrated my favorite holidays in new ways, and learned that helping people was one of my favorite hobbies”. With the goal of becoming a paramedic so that she can follow her passion to help other people, Brooklynn has become C.P.R, A.E.D, and First Aid certified.  After undergoing surgery to remove her tumor in June, Brooklynn has continued her chemo regimen with the plan to use her scholarship to learn to ride horses and attend dog agility courses with her beautiful dog Bone! We love you Brooklynn!! No one fights alone 

Lucas is 11, going into 6th grade and already a 1st degree black belt having worked at since he was 6!! Lucas began suffering from pain in his foot at 8 and was misdiagnosed with Sever's disease which affects growing children and prescribed PT. When PT only aggravated the pain, Lucas's mom persevered until Lucas was correctly diagnosed with a tumor in his left leg that was determined to be Ewing Sarcoma. In addition to his chemo regimen, Lucas underwent a major autograft surgery in Boston on Friday, which involves removing a healthy part of the bone tissue in his upper leg and placing it near his ankle, where the cancerous tumor is. Lucas will be non weight bearing for a minimum of three months. 

"One day I was a normal kid going to school and doing things after school like karate,basketball, scouts, playing video games and then my whole world just came to a sudden stop overnight. I had to go to constant doctor appointments for x-rays, blood draws, scans of my whole body, biopsies and waiting forever. I was really confused and scared...They also told me I wouldnt be able to ever have my own kids someday if I wanted to be a dad. They didn't give me any time to think about it either, they just said "you have to let us know now before your chemo starts tomorrow." I didn't want another painful surgery so I said no. That made me really sad because I really like little kids and think I would have been a great dad. Now I won’t be able to. I guess I can have lots of pets or maybe adopt kids someday. I just wish I had more of a choice but now I dont. I'm only 11 and feel like my whole life is going to be different now because of this cancer. I had to overcome my fear of needles and hospitals so someday I can help other kids who have to go through this too. It is really hard and I have a long road ahead but thinking about how I want my life back and how I may be able to help other people keeps me going and able to overcome and beat this cancer rather than sitting around being mad and askin "why did this happen to me?"

Lucas plans to put his scholarship money towards karate, hip hop and drum lessons once he gets back on his feet!

 Maggie is 13 years old and currently undergoing treatment for DISER -1, Ovarian Sarcoma. Maggie plays volleyball, field hockey, lacrosse, and ski races. She races for the Attitash Ski Team in New Hampshire and is on the varsity ski team at school! 

"I was a ten-year-old just diagnosed with cancer. How could something so drastic and so intense happen to someone so young? It was physical and mentally tolling. I had to stop many of the things I loved doing for a few months. Like ski racing (and being on a ski team in general), seeing friends, and even going to school. Since I had gotten diagnosed in May ski season had ended but what would this mean for the next year? Could I race? Could I train? Could I even do anything even remotely related to skiing racing? It was defiantly a challenge to say the least. But as time went on, we found my abilities on what I could do, I was able to ski. Not race or train but I was able to ski. It was huge, and I think skiing was one of the things that helped me get over this adversity. This challenge was hard, but I had an amazing support system and was able to, sort of, do the things I loved." 

Maggie plans to use her SkiFast scholarship towards ski team training this season. We are excited to follow Maggie and cheer her on this winter!

Sophia was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma in 2019 and has since received 32 rounds of chemo, gone through eight weeks of radiation, and had three major surgeries. Sophia loves to play softball and has been playing since first grade. When Sophia was diagnosed her freshman year, she lost the ability to walk within three days and had to use a wheelchair. All challenges aside, Sophia still attended games in her wheelchair and was determined to get back out on the field with her team. 

"When I went into remission, I was determined to walk again, so I could play softball. I did physical therapy to work on my endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility in my legs. It took a lot of hard work to get to where I am today. When I was able to attend school in person, I had to be pushed in a wheelchair by my friends. After school, I had physical therapy. Eventually I was able to walk short distances with my walker. I worked my way up to walking with my walker and relearning my pitching motion."

"My coach gave me a uniform, so I could wear it to the games and be with the team. She said I would always be a part of the team. Even though everyone was in quarantine, and I was not able to attend physical therapy, I continued to do my exercises."
"By the end of July 2020, I was able to ride my bike and swim because of my progress. Unfortunately, In August 2020, I had my nine-month scans. I relapsed and had to start chemotherapy and have my port surgically inserted for a second time. This did not stop me from wanting to pitch and play softball again. My parents bought me a softball net to practice, which is what I did in the fall. I hope to play softball this spring, if everything goes well. These challenges that I have faced throughout my journey have allowed me to see things in perspective, and not take things for granted. Along with learning not to take anything  for granted, I learned how important it is to give back." 

We wish Sophia the best and are excited to follow her softball season this year. Sophia plans on putting her SkiFast scholarship funds towards her college tuition. 

Nathan was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma in October 2020 and has received 14 rounds of chemo, 31 rounds of radiation, four surgeries, a blood transmission, and over 50 nights in the hospital. Despite the added challenges, this has not kept Nathan away from his passion, soccer. Nathan has been playing soccer since he was only three years old, and his goal is to play professionally one day. 

“When I was first diagnosed with cancer in October of 2020, I had no clue what that meant for not only my life but my family's life as well. I was in for a battle and that I was going to overcome whatever it was that they had planned for my treatment. There was never a doubt in my mind that I would be back out on the soccer field and continuing my pursuit of this dream of mine. Initially, I had an emotionless reaction and I think it shocked most of my family and friends. I acted as if nothing had happened because I simply did not understand the news I had received from the doctors. As confused as I was, I went into my first round of chemotherapy with an underlying sense of determination that I believed could get me through whatever kind of side effects that came my way.” 

Nathan plans to put his SkiFast scholarship towards his education at San Diego State, where he will be attending in the fall of 2022. 

 Luna is ten years old and was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma this in January 2021. She is an incredible athlete and plays soccer, softball, and recently picked up surfing. She is a total natural at surfing of course! Luna plans to use her SkiFast scholarship towards soccer training camp this summer as well as one on one training sessions to keep her fitness up. It is obvious that Luna does not let treatment or bad days hold her back from being with her team, and we are extremely impressed by her energy and attitude.  

“No one deserves this to happen. It stinks, but I cannot let it bring me down. Even though I get stuck with a needle almost every day, I still keep a smile on my face. I know I am going to beat this. I am going to fight and win this battle. I look forward to leaving the hospital to see my family and my dogs." - Luna

 Meet Avery Wisdom, a nationally competitive volleyball player and SkiFast Foundation Scholarship recipient who was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma at the age of 17 following a series of sports injuries and in addition to fibrous dysplasia which had weakened Avery’s clavicle. 

“When I was first diagnosed, it seemed impossible that an athlete like me could have cancer. I didn’t understand that cancer is an equal opportunity offender. Now that I have accepted my diagnosis, my competitive nature and experiences as an athlete are helping me fight it. Teamwork, mental strength, and determination have always been at the core of my successes as an athlete and they are the key to overcoming my cancer now. Having a great team of doctors and nurses plus loving family and friends around me gives me the support system I need to get through my treatments. 

Mental toughness helped me overcome my competitors on the volleyball court and that same mindset will help me beat cancer. When I am sick and worn down from chemo, I remind myself to keep pushing and maintain a positive outlook. I have been accepted into the Mays School of Business at Texas A & M University, and like most high school seniors, had plans to start college this fall. I was also planning to play volleyball for the Texas A&M Women’s Club. Since my treatments and surgery will continue at least through the end of the year, I will have to postpone my college debut. Despite this setback, I am determined to get healthy again and start college in fall of 2022.

I haven’t overcome this challenge yet, but I am a competitor and I believe I will beat cancer. Once I get past it, I know my experience with cancer will bring a unique perspective to my college experience. Although I will have to start a little later than I hoped, thinking about college and looking forward to playing the sport I love again will motivate me to get through my treatments.” - Avery

  Sean was diagnosed at 17 in January of 2020 during COVID with Osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer. He was an avid dancer and the lead in several musical theatre productions at the time. Sean's limb salvage surgery took thirteen hours to remove the tumor and replace 13 cm of his Tibia and knee with a prosthesis.   

As my journey continues, I'm different now. Unrecognizable to the "Sean" of yesteryear, both physically and mentally. I continue to live my life, not letting the effects of this tragedy keep me from achieving what I desire. I use my experience to help and support others, performing talks with children going through cancer treatments, and spreading awareness about mental health in teens and young adults. The fire that was born almost half a year ago carried me through my senior year, pushing me to make the most out of everything. I never expected this tragedy to happen, especially during a severe pandemic like COVID-19, and to this day, no one knows why Osteosarcoma develops. But I know that I would not be the passionate, determined, positive-minded person I am today without this experience."

We are very excited to support Sean! He was accepted to the Florida State University Music Program for Choral Studies and was also offered Membership into the University Singers Touring group for FSU, an audition-only choir that represents the University. 

Chris was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in 2020 and has since then finished treatment with NED scans back in March 2021. Treatment involved MAP protocol Chemo Therapy, Rotationplasty amputation surgery October 26, 2020. An avid autocross racer, Chris is excited to be attending college this fall. 

"I am excited to go into college. Becoming a Physical Therapist Assistant won’t be as challenging because while I am learning how to walk I am also learning how patients feel when they are going through therapy themselves and I’ll be able to help them in a better way. All of my struggles that I have had through fighting cancer have all taught me how to be persistent in what I want to do and become. The changes that I have gone through have been extensive, especially because I lost my leg due to the effects of cancer and chemo. With all that I have been through I am still the same kid inside that I was before, I am still hardworking and I care about and try to protect anyone and everyone I can. I have still changed too, the cancer put things into perspective and I live my life one day at a time and enjoy it because it can all be over in an instant. I want to be able to enjoy each day to its fullest and start doing the things that allow me to have some joy in my life. My adversity with cancer has taught me to focus on family and find joy in each and every day. - Chris

 When Claire was 4 she was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma. Claire's tumor was between two of the ribs in her back and was touching her spine. She went through 17 rounds of chemo, a rib resection (four of her ribs were removed), and spinal fusion surgery. Claire's treatment caused both scoliosis and kidney disease. Claire has persisted throughout it all and pursues her love of dance, even performing at CureFest days after surgery to put a stent in her kidney. "At the studio, I’m a dancer. Not a kid who had cancer." - Claire

 Alexis was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma during her junior year of high school. Alexis persevered and ultimately got back into her colorguard competition, despite seemingly endless treatment. She will be attending Hannibal Lagrange University and would like to be a pediatric oncology nurse. "I will participate in their nursing program and hope to work at the St. Louis Children's Hospital upon graduation. I hope you all will help me achieve my dream of helping others through their cancer treatment." 

 Dillon was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma during his junior year of high school and received ten months of treatment. 

"In a sense the pandemic helped me overcome my cancer. This forced me to be patient with my disease. I did not feel left out, so I was not in a rush to get better; I could take my time to recover. There were no parties because everyone was stuck at home. The pandemic also made me feel less alone since my family was with me at home. They gave me a lot of support. My family brought me food and help me remember my medication. This allowed me to focus on recovery. People handle adversity differently. Some people think of it as a challenge and are motivated to overcome the challenge. People will work harder and overexert themselves to accomplish their goal. While others grow hopeless and depress. A student with an adversity may end up discouraged from doing schoolwork and give up on graduating. But I viewed it differently. I saw it as neither a challenge nor a hopeless endeavor; I saw it as another chapter in my life." 

Dillon is an avid cook and plans to use his scholarship funds to take hands on cooking classes.

  Amanda was diagnosed with Stage 4 Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma at 19 years old. In January 2020, Amanda had surgery where they removed approximately 50-60% of a tumor from the area in between her left shoulder and neck and confirmed that she had cancer. Beginning on February 10, 2020, Amanda received 5 rounds of inpatient chemo where she got three different chemotherapies.

Amanda plans to use her scholarship funds toward her Senior year of college where she is studying to receive a Mass Communications with a concentration in Public Relations and Advertising. Amanda is a total rockstar and balances treatment, working, and studying full time at Delaware State University (not to mention maintaining a 4.0 GPA!)

"I plan to use this degree to give back to the cancer community in some way whether that be obtaining a job at a hospital, non-profit organization, etc."

  Katie was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma in her senior year of high school, enduring 17 rounds of chemotherapy, 35 blood transfusions and 7 surgeries. Katie is a beautiful artist and loves traveling. She can’t wait for COVID to get better so she can pursue the study abroad program at University of Nevada Reno! 

In her free time she plays indoor soccer and is also a referee! We are so happy to have helped Katie accomplish her goals post treatment. 

“No cancer is kind or easy to beat.  This disease has rocked my family to its core, but I have learned and grown so much over what feels like an eternity. I was also still able to complete my school work and gradate high school with honors. I’ve learned how important and special it is to have family and true friends supporting and surrounding you with love and encouragement.  Most importantly, I learned that I am physically and emotionally stronger than I ever thought I could be.” 

  Walker was diagnosed with osteosarcoma when he was fifteen years old and a sophomore in high school. He had to put his dream of playing D1 college baseball on hold and focus on treatment. "Being so close to death gave me a new perspective on life. I don't wake up in the morning. I GET to wake up in the morning. I don't HAVE to go to school, I WANT to go to school. Cancer made me thankful for every breath I take, and life is so much better when you truly see the blessings you have."