Climb for a Cure es el principal evento de recaudación de fondos de Fight CRC. Comenzó en 2016 con algunos supervivientes y cuidadores que escalaron una montaña, una metáfora de su lucha contra el cáncer colorrectal. En la actualidad, reúne a cientos de supervivientes, cuidadores y seres queridos de todo el país que se ponen en marcha y recaudan fondos para investigación. 

Joe Bullock y JJ Singleton se conocieron en 2021. Ambos son de Carolina del Norte y supervivientes de cáncer colorrectal. Juntos son los anfitriones del legado Climbing for a Cure en Carolina del Norte.

Joe y JJ se refieren a su evento en Mount Mitchell, Carolina del Norte, como uno más pequeño. No hay que olvidar que algunas de las mejores cosas de la vida vienen en paquetes pequeños. El evento del Monte Mitchell tiene un gran impacto, ya que cada año atrae a supervivientes que regresan y a nuevos escaladores. 

El evento de Carolina del Norte es perfecto si desea verse envuelto y acogido calurosamente en la familia Fight CRC y en la comunidad de supervivientes de cáncer colorrectal, cuidadores y seres queridos.

While initially a colorectal cancer diagnosis feels lonely and isolating, the one silver lining of such a devastating disease is the way it unites, connects, and bonds members of the community together in a way you would never expect or imagine. Truly, no one fights colorectal cancer alone. 

Fight Colorectal Cancer se prepara para dar el pistoletazo de salida a su Escalada por una cura Season, which begins Memorial Day Weekend (Friday, May 26, 2023), and spans through Labor Day (Monday, September 4, 2023). Climb for a Cure joins hundreds of Relentless Champions of Hope in the fight against colorectal cancer as they climb and fundraise to support research programs vital to the colorectal cancer community.

Tanto Joe como JJ son embajadores de Fight CRC: Joe pertenecía a la clase de Embajadores de 2021 y JJ a la de 2022. Joe, superviviente de estadio III, lleva asistiendo a Climb for a Cure desde 2020 y organizando eventos comunitarios desde 2021. JJ, superviviente de estadio IV, ha asistido y organizado eventos desde que se conectó con Joe en 2021.

De forma independiente, Joe y JJ siguen concienciando cada día, ya sea en persona, en las redes sociales o a través de podcasts y entrevistas. Juntos forman un dúo dinámico como presentadores de Fight CRC's Climb for a Cure.

Hemos preguntado a Joe y JJ "todas las preguntas de Escalada" mientras nos dirigimos a la Temporada de Escalada 2023.

¿Qué significa Climb for a Cure para cada uno de ustedes personalmente?

JJ: Climb for a Cure means I’m tackling something that I never thought I was going to be able to do again. There were times when I didn’t think I’d ever be able to walk a half mile on flat ground again. The Climb gives me the motivation and joy of knowing where I came from and where I’m at today. Climb for a Cure is also a platform to give other people who are just starting this cancer journey hope. 

Joe: It is about bringing together the family of survivors. I had gone to Mount Mitchell, as a child growing up in North Carolina. When JJ came onto the scene, Mount Mitchell was a natural place where I wanted to do a Climb event. I said to JJ, “Let’s do a Climb at Mount Mitchell,” and he was all in. And it’s stuck that way for years now.

Can everyone Climb for a Cure at Mount Mitchell?

Joe: What I like about Mount Mitchell is there is a harder, more rugged and rocky path. But also, there is a paved trail. So if we have survivors that might be in a wheelchair, they can go up the paved path and get to the summit. They have that access and ability to get to the summit. There are multiple paths and options that we can take. That’s what I like about Mount Mitchell: It’s very versatile.

Por ejemplo, el año pasado di la opción: Podemos tomar el camino escabroso o podemos tomar el camino pavimentado. Querían el camino más duro y difícil. Algunos lamentaron esa decisión una vez en el camino.

"But we all seem to gravitate toward that one rugged path every year because I think there is a sense of surviving the path like we are surviving our cancer."

-Joe Bullock

Joe: Todos queremos aceptar el reto del camino difícil. Ahora bien, a veces la gente no puede tomar ese camino escarpado por problemas en las rodillas o en los pies o por motivos de salud, y eso es lo bueno del Monte Mitchell, porque existe esa opción de camino pavimentado.

Así que si alguien es incapaz de hacer el camino escarpado, que no escale solo. Siempre nos las arreglamos para que haya suficiente gente en ambas vías, porque nadie lucha solo y nadie escala solo. Somos una comunidad de escaladores. Queremos asegurarnos de que todos estén juntos de alguna manera durante el evento Climb for a Cure.

¿Cómo son los senderos del Monte Mitchell? ¿Qué longitud tiene cada sendero?

Joe: The rugged path is about 1.8 miles, but it's so rocky that it takes us about an hour and a half to climb because there are parts of it where you're literally climbing up rocks, so it’s challenging. 

Si se toma el camino pavimentado, se puede recorrer en una media hora.

Definitivamente hay una diferencia entre los dos caminos. Y lo bueno de los distintos caminos es que todos acabamos juntos en la misma cumbre. Los que van por el camino asfaltado suelen llevar las banderas y todo lo que necesitamos.

Es genial porque todos nos reunimos en la cima. 

JJ: The two times we did the Climb, I went on the rugged path, but I've been to Mount Mitchell many times where I've taken the paved path. You pull into the parking lot, and it's about .6 of a mile from there to the summit.

El Monte Mitchell es bueno porque el sendero escarpado y el pavimentado se encuentran más o menos a la mitad del sendero pavimentado, y hay una pequeña zona para sentarse.

La gente que va por el camino asfaltado puede subir andando, pasar el rato en la cima, bajar a medio camino para reunirse con nosotros, y luego subimos juntos la parte final.

La Subida es una gran reunión comunitaria de apoyo, ¿puede hablarnos más de ella?

Joe: I was having a hard time for some reason during Climb 2022, and Sarah [Broadus, a stage IV survivor and Climb for a Cure participant] and her husband Todd were there too. We were on the rugged path. I remember I was about ready to give up in the middle, because there are some plateaus where you could actually get off the trail if you had to. And so I thought, “Look, I don't know if I can do this whole thing, and I'm gonna get off here, and then I'll have somebody come down and get me or something.” Her husband said, “No, no you need to just get some oxygen in your knees.” So they were talking me through it. Sarah said, “You need to chew some gum and get your heart rhythm set. Get it leveled off, and then you'll be able to do it.” And sure enough, once I got that going, I was able to complete it. 

Así que este año nos hemos animado los unos a los otros por el camino.

"De eso trata Climb for a Cure. Se trata de cuidarnos los unos a los otros y de animarnos mutuamente para completar esta misión de acabar juntos."

-Joe Bullock

¿Conoces a todo el mundo en tu evento Climb for a Cure? ¿O hay algunas personas que llegan como extraños y se van como familia de Fight CRC?

Joe: Well, there are people that we know like Sarah, Michael, and Judy. There is definitely a family that has developed, and we see each other each year at the Climb.

JJ: The first year I had a couple friends come up, and they signed up last year but one of their friends got married in the Bahamas that weekend. I totally understand a trip to the Bahamas over climbing Mount Mitchell. 

Pero también hay gente de mi comunidad a la que le encanta esta escalada. Les gustan las caminatas de 30 o 30 kilómetros por las montañas. Aquí se apuntaron, y yo ni siquiera sabía que estaban escalando hasta que los vi allí.

¿Es el ambiente de Climb for a Cure day una mezcla de fiesta sorpresa y feliz reencuentro? 

JJ: It’s a surprise, and it also feels good to see them come out and participate in Climb for a Cure because they know it's something that I feel deeply about, especially as an advocate for colorectal cancer.

Les agradezco que se tomen tiempo para subir. Aparecen un sábado por la mañana en verano, justo antes de la vuelta al cole, y es una época del año muy ajetreada.

"Que dediquen horas de su día a participar en algo que siento profundamente significa mucho".

-JJ Singleton

Joe: Last year, Ray Wilson, a survivor, was one of the Chris Ganser Scholarship winners who came to the Mount Mitchell Climb event. He lives in Greensboro, and he could have attended any Climb. He could have gone to California or Colorado, but he chose to come to our little North Carolina Climb.

Me sorprendió mucho, y fue bastante increíble. Pero me dijo: "¡Claro que iré a la Escalada de Carolina del Norte!".

Pero esta es su comunidad, y estas son las personas con las que quiere Escalar.

¿Qué le diría a alguien que estuviera recibiendo quimioterapia y pensara que Climb for a Cure puede ser demasiado difícil para él?

JJ: I would tell them to come on out to Climb. Last year, I did the Climb after my 123rd round of chemo.

Estaba dolorido y no tenía ganas de subir, pero la sensación que tienes después compensa esa hora y media en la que estás luchando.

"It’s also important for people to remember that when they Climb for a Cure, they will never do another more physical activity with more people who understand what they are going through and can help them through it."

-JJ Singleton

Esta comunidad ha pasado por los mismos retos mentales y físicos. Lo entienden. 

Joe: I remember a couple of years ago – JJ, I think you were on your 103rd chemo treatment. I remember hitting a wall about three-quarters of the way up where it’s the toughest point. It was difficult, and I didn’t want to continue. I just wanted to stop.

Recuerdo que pensé: "No quiero terminar esto", y luego recuerdo que pensé: "JJ acaba de recibir quimio ayer. ¿De qué me estoy quejando?"

Me dio ese empujón que necesitaba para subir esa parte final de la subida. Pero así es como me sentí en ese momento, que JJ me dio ese empujón final para terminar.

How does it feel and what is the impact of bringing the community together for Climb for a Cure?

JJ: It feels amazing. I was not involved in the Fight CRC or colorectal cancer community before COVID because I was in my own head with blinders on. But then going through COVD where everybody got so used to being apart and missing that real human interaction, when we finally got together to do this Climb in 2021, this was probably the first thing I did with a group of more than two or three people in almost two years.

Es una sensación difícil de explicar, esa sensación que se tiene cuando se echa de menos la conexión humana, especialmente con personas que entienden por lo que has pasado estos últimos años. Es una sensación increíble.

Joe: It is kind of like that family reunion aspect.

"As patients and survivors, we don't really get a lot of time together throughout the year to see each other, and Climb for a Cure is just a great opportunity for the local groups to get together and have that opportunity to see each other. It’s pretty amazing."

-Joe Bullock

¿Cómo cree que el evento North Carolina Climb marca la diferencia? 

JJ: The Mount Mitchell Climb for a Cure event shows that no matter where you are in the country, if you live in a bigger area like the Raleigh–Durham area, or you live in a town of 3,000 people like me, the colorectal cancer community comes there, people see what you're doing, and they understand the impact that you're making. It makes a difference, and they remember, and they donate or show up, and it has an impact on them.

Me llena de satisfacción ser anfitriona de Climb for a Cure.

Joe: In North Carolina, we have quite a few national cancer institutes. We have Duke, UNC, and Charlotte, and for us to be able to do something that's this impactful for research and fighting for a cure – that's something that we're standing out for in this state. We have such access in this state and to have a program that we're able to share and fight for, I think is incredible.

¿Por qué es importante Climb for a Cure para la investigación del cáncer colorrectal?

JJ: Climb for a Cure is important to raise awareness and make people realize that colorectal cancer is a disease on the rise, from the young kids to the older people. Most people don't know that because it's not something people talk about. So to raise funds for them and for a cure is everything.

Joe: Colorectal cancer is one of those cancers that still is not talked enough about. I've been involved with some of the cancer centers in this state, both at Duke and UNC, and I keep hearing that not enough people are talking about colorectal cancer. Not enough survivors are talking about it. So to have a platform is what's needed, and I think [Climb for a Cure] is one of the ways to provide it.

¿Cómo animaría a otras personas a unirse a Climb for a Cure?

JJ: Just make the leap, sign up, go for it, and enjoy it! Don't be nervous. Don't dread it. You might think you are not able to do it physically, but you are going to have people to support you there. So dive into it. It's going to be an amazing experience!

Joe: A lot of times as survivors, we don't know how to advocate. We don't know that there are ways to do that. A platform like Climb for a Cure gives us that opportunity and encourages us to do it for those that are looking for a way to do it. 

Y es bastante fácil. Te apuntas y ya puedes salir a pasear. Es muy sencillo, y eso es importante.

¿Qué es lo que más le gusta de Climb for a Cure? 

JJ: For me, it's definitely making it to the peak, getting up there, and being with the community who made the climb to the peak together. 

I really enjoy taking the picture with the flag; the accomplishment of all that we've been through and that we’re still able to do this is everything; we can say we climbed to the highest peak east of the Mississippi.

Joe: That’s it exactly. And I enjoy the after-party. Last year I said, “JJ, I want to do an after-party,” and we did that at a local brewery and got to have a beer and lunch together, and have that family time that we wanted and to celebrate the accomplishment. I always look forward to that as well, and we’re going to do that again this year.

¿Cómo conoció Climb for a Cure?

JJ: It was through Joe because I didn’t know about Fight CRC until I met Joe.

Joe: I became aware after reading about Climb for a Cure and Chris Ganser. I was diagnosed in 2018, and I had read about Climb for a Cure somewhere when I was looking for ways to start advocating after my own survivorship.

Con el tiempo, me puse en contacto con Mike Mancini, y así fue como empecé a saber más sobre Fight CRC y sobre su programa de embajadores, y me animaron a formar parte de él.

Are there emotional moments when you’re climbing?

Joe: Let me tell you a funny story. Every year I have what's called the dad shoes: the white tennis shoes. Last year, I was doing a safety talk, and everyone said, “You need to get climb shoes for hiking.”

Así que salí y me compré estas zapatillas de escalada para hacer senderismo. Y me caí - tres veces - en el sendero. Pero durante los últimos dos años en ese sendero con mis zapatos blancos de papá, no me había caído ni una sola vez. 

Es como si mis zapatos de papá fueran mis superpoderes, y el año pasado no tuviera mis superpoderes conmigo en el sendero. Fue divertidísimo. Me caí tres veces con los zapatos especiales para escalar.

JJ: A lot of emotions come over me as I'm climbing. I remember all the people that have had an impact on my life and who are not here anymore due to this disease. 

Eso me ayuda a seguir adelante. Las dos últimas escaladas tuvieron lugar durante mis semanas de quimio. Si la Escalada para una Cura de este año coincide con mi semana de quimioterapia, seguiré haciéndolo. Seguiré escalando y honrando a todos los que me han marcado y me han ayudado a llegar hasta donde estoy hoy.

Joe: One thing I noticed last year, we had several people who attended who were friends of someone, but they were impacted by other cancers, and they were all saying, “There's nothing like this. There really isn't.” 

Dijeron que nunca antes habían tenido esta sensación. Y eran personas de otros grupos contra el cáncer. Me pareció muy impactante que dijeran: "No hay nada como esto".

¿Qué le gustaría que la gente supiera sobre el impacto que tiene Climb for a Cure en la comunidad del cáncer colorrectal?

JJ: No matter what I've been through, or I'm currently going through, I'm going to use Climb for a Cure as a platform to help raise money and find a cure for colorectal cancer. 

Espero que todo esto ayude a la próxima generación a no tener que pasar por todo lo que yo, y todos los miembros de esta comunidad del cáncer colorrectal, hemos pasado. Ese es el impacto que espero que la gente vea: Que podemos sufrir la quimioterapia, seguir adelante con Climb for a Cure y seguir recaudando dinero para luchar por el futuro.

Joe: We are climbing for a cure. That’s what we want. That’s what we fight for. That’s what we’re here for. 

Queremos que se rebaje la edad de cribado. Queremos que se investigue más. Queremos ver más ensayos clínicos abrirse para que más pacientes sobrevivan como JJ y por lo que está pasando. Por eso es importante para mí hacer Climb for a Cure.