Pam MacDonald has battled the odds and beat ovarian cancer not once, twice or three times, but four times as of October 2015. An avid cyclist, she founded Spin It Teal four years ago and is proud to put her love of exercising toward a cause close to home. “Exercise really made a big difference when I was going through treatment; I didn’t get a lot of the side effects and [the doctors] believe it’s because I wasn’t sedentary,” MacDonald says. The proceeds from Spin It Teal go toward ovarian cancer research and prevention of reoccurring diagnoses. She says her two granddaughters inspire her to keep working toward finding a cure. “I’m working for the future for everybody,” she adds.
Mary Pat Oslund has also turned her victory over ovarian cancer toward spreading awareness. Oslund is now vice president of the Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance (MOCA) board and has participated in Spin It Teal since its start in 2013. “The group is so inspiring,” she says. “Everyone is just fired up, music is blaring and it’s for a great cause.” Oslund expresses her admiration for MacDonald’s determination and credits her with Spin It Teal’s success. “We support her, but this is her baby,” she says. Oslund also emphasizes MOCA’s services as a resource and reminds women that they are not alone, saying, “When you’re diagnosed, it’s really nice to know that you’re not alone in this disease.”
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For more information on Spin It Teal and the Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance, including support groups in St. Paul, Minneapolis and Rochester, go to mnovarian.org.
