As the new team captain of the SFU Cares team, I am honoured to have the opportunity be part of the United Way and show my local love and support for our community.

As a recent cancer survivor and MEd student in the Health Education and Active Living (HEAL) program at SFU, I understand the importance of an active lifestyle as it has a significant impact on our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Diseases such as cancer can unfortunately occur to anyone in any community, whether you are young or old. In fact, one in two individuals in British Columbia will be diagnosed with cancer sometime in their lifetime. It is predicted that one in three British Columbians with new cancer diagnoses will be from the Fraser Health area by the year 2027 (Fraser Health, 2020). A positive attitude, strong support system, and active lifestyle can have a significant impact on an individual’s overall health and well-being. Because of this, an individual has a stronger chance of living a happy and healthy life in their community.

Together, we can make a difference by making our community stronger, healthier, and more caring, one step at a time. I hope you’ll show your support by joining me in ClimbUP!