Last November, Burton snowboarder Kimmy Fasani was breastfeeding her second son when she noticed a pea-sized lump in her armpit. “Oh shit,” she thought. Both of Fasani’s parents had died of cancer and she’d set up her lifestyle to avoid any possibility of getting it herself. But, a day after finding the lump, she sat in her doctor’s office and listened to them clinically diagnose her with breast cancer.
“Within three days, everything was flipped upside,” she says.
Fasani, Truckee native, started snowboarding when she was 9 years old, began competing at 15, and relocated to Mammoth Lakes after high school to focus on progression. In 2011, she became the first woman to land a double backflip in a terrain park. A staple of Absinthe Films, she pushed for outdoor industry sponsors to retain female athletes during and after pregnancy and founded Amusement Park, and later Amusement MTN, to expedite female snowboarders progression in the park and backcountry, respectively. Fasani credits the mountains as a place to get away from distractions and cultivate positive mental health.
But last November, the form of breast cancer Fasani was diagnosed with was so aggressive she needed to start chemotherapy within three weeks. The lifestyle changes were swift and fierce. She had to wean her baby off of breastfeeding. She underwent a double mastectomy, six rounds of chemotherapy, and 30 rounds of radiation.
“It was just survival. You have to filter out all the noise,” she explains. Her team of doctors wanted her to survive so Fasani could be there for her kids: “[The treatment] was aggressive, it was that or not living. So I had to focus on recovering.”
‘Breast cancer does happen to young women’
Cancer diagnoses among younger women is rare. The median age at the time of diagnosis is 62, according to the American Cancer Society. Mammograms are typically not recommended for women under the age of 40 because our breast tissue is still dense, Fasani explains. At the time of her diagnosis, Fasani was only 37.
“Everyone should be aware that breast cancer does happen to young women,” she points out. For younger women, many of whom haven’t had mammograms yet, she advocates for women to have a baseline for what our bodies feel like so we can detect change. The National Breast Cancer Foundation recommends women of all ages perform self-exams at least once a month, citing that approximately 40 percent of breast cancers are detected by women who feel a lump.
Her husband, professional skier and artist Chris Benchetler, stepped into a caretaking role for their two children while Fasani effectively relocated to Southern California during her treatments.
“He was filling all the hats. It’s definitely not been easy,” she says.
“Chris and I met because we both lost our dads to cancer,” Fasani explains, whose father passed away from cancer when she was only 14. She and Benchetler developed a deep underlying connection because of those losses, she adds, and they both found themselves in the mountains during the grieving process. Fasani would later lose her mother to cancer in 2017 and, again, found herself running back to the mountains and getting a greater sense of peace and connection she didn’t find anywhere else.
In part because of their shared experience with grief and healing in nature, she and Benchetler had planned to start a nonprofit and wrote it into their trust well before Fasani’s cancer diagnosis.
‘Not everyone has that kind of support’
“I think when I was diagnosed, there was more of a sense of urgency [to start the nonprofit] because of the resources I’d be given, realizing how lucky we are,” she explains. “Not everyone has that kind of support.” She credits two nonprofits for helping her obtain the treatment she needed and get back on snow: Angel Flights West and Boarding for Breast Cancer.
“[Chris] was also really inspired to get the foundation off the ground. I think he saw how much it took out of us, so if we can help people navigate that, it will take some pressure off.”
Last December, less than a month after Fasani’s diagnosis and in the middle of her treatment, she and Benchetler worked to get approval for their new nonprofit, the Benchetler Fasani Foundation. The nonprofit aims to be a resource for people who have been through hardship or loss, give them experiences that facilitate connections with nature, and ultimately help participants heal trauma.
The nonprofit launched in early October. As people apply to the program, the foundation can offer scholarships and advocate for experiences that feel healing for the participants they select. For example, if someone wants to go rock climbing, the Benchetler Fasani Foundation can reach out on the program participant’s behalf and sponsor them. They’re currently accepting applications on a rolling basis.
While the program is still in its infancy. Fasani says one of her goals is to help people realize how powerful and resilient our bodies are and find a community to offer support.
“Mental health is a work in process,” she says. “We want to be able to be a tool for people. Whether it’s nominating, applying themselves or suggesting other alliance nonprofits, ultimately we want to facilitate these experiences that we have found to be so healing.”
“It’s beneficial for people to have that connection to nature, and we want to give them those tools to connect,” Fasani explains. “I’m continuing to find space for myself, outdoors.”
‘Plugged back into my power source’
After Fasani’s last cancer treatment in March, Benchetler and Donna Carpenter, chair of Burton’s board of directors, surprised her with a trip to Baldface Lodge in British Columbia. For three days, she was able to ride all day everyday.
“It was almost like I was plugged back into my power source,” she says, adding that she had a boost of energy and mental clarity she hadn’t realized she’d lost during the treatments.
For Fasani, who is now in remission, her recovery is still ongoing.
“Once you have cancer, it’s really never over,” she explains. “You always fear that it will come back.
“I still have all my sponsors,” Fasani says. “Burton heavily supported me through motherhood and all this. I feel very fortunate. I would like to find myself back in the mountains. It’s a journey of self-discovery. It’s still a lot to process.”
“I’ve been given the green light to do whatever I want to but it’s really just the mental space and the calling to be outside and the quiet time nature, which reiterates what the foundation stands for.”
mbebef
November 15th, 2022
Kimmy Fasani is a professional snowboarder who has competed in the X Games and the US Open. In 2018, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy. After her treatment, Fasani decided to dedicate her time to helping others who are going through a similar experience. She started the Kimmy Fasani Foundation, which provides resources and support for young women with breast cancer. cbd oil for pain Fasani is also an advocate for early detection and regularly speaks out about the importance of self-exams and mammograms. Thanks to her efforts, Fasani is helping to make a difference in the lives of those affected by breast cancer.
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