Dove Canyon resident Ruth Brajevich competes in 16 marathons and 52 half marathons every year. But she said the most meaningful event she runs is a 2-mile loop around Fashion Island, the Susan G. Komen More Than Pink Walk.
Brajevich started running in the event about 20 years ago and was immediately inspired by the stories of the many breast cancer survivors who ran with her. It took on even more meaning when she was later diagnosed with the disease herself.
She had just finished running the 2011 Malibu Marathon when her doctors asked her to come in for additional testing based on the results of a recent mammogram. She was 42, in shape and living a healthy lifestyle. Her kids were 8 and 10 at the time.
“It’s almost unbelievable, like, ‘that can’t be right, right?’ And I immediately thought ‘I have to be here to raise my kids,’” she said. “[I thought] ‘I’m too young to die.’”
Brajevich described herself as “blessed beyond measure” to have a broad network of family and friends supporting her. But she also said fighting cancer is a lonely experience, and it can be difficult to find people who can honestly relate.
“But when you go to the event like the walk, you really see that you’re not alone,” she said. “The community is really powerful.”
The nearly 10,000 people who gathered on an overcast Sunday in Newport Beach for the More than Pink Walk raised almost $750,000 for cancer research, awareness and advocacy, according to event organizers.
Brea residents Nanci Hill and Anita Smith, along with Cindi Murillo of La Habra, were among the many cancer survivors taking part in Sunday’s walk. They met 10 years ago during radiation therapy and bonded after sharing their stories with each other.
“It’s very scary, but we were just very open with each other and started talking about it,” Smith said. “It was refreshing to talk to someone who knew what you were going through.”
“They’re like embarrassed,” Hill added “But we just started chatting.”
Their group used to be larger, but two of their companions during their shared treatment journey have since died. In a tent set up at Sunday’s event, Hill, Murillo and Smith clipped their friends’ names and photos onto ribbons alongside dozens of others hanging in memory of people who lost their battles with cancer.
There were nearly 280,000 new cases of breast cancer reported in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The disease killed more than 42,000 people in 2023.
Cancer survivor Kim Cameron of Newport Beach said she expected to walk alone during Sunday’s event, but eight of her friends decided to join her. These were the same people who have cooked meals for her, cut her hair picked up her spirits for “chemo fundays,” nearly getting them all kicked out of a clinic for laughing too loudly.
“If I did not have these people I would have already been dead,” Cameron said. “They have seen me through the most painful procedures.”
Brajevich said that with support and the treatment made possible by modern medicine, cancer survivors can continue to lead impactful lives. She hopes sharing her story will help cancer survivors persevere and inspire others to aid their cause.
“When you train for a marathon, you learn how to lean in when things get hard,” Brajevich said.
“…My strategy racing is you just gotta be where you are. What can you do to get to the next milestone? I really use that mindset going through treatment.”