Warriors Do Not Run From Challenge...

We are entering week three of Unleashing Our Warrior and I feel so proud. The text, email, comments, feedback are overwhelmingly encouraging; incredibly positive! I give thanks minute by minute for the lives we touch and the awareness we raise. There are greater things in an evolved life than ones own self interest. Once you choose to focus on things for which there’s gratitude you find true wealth. A grateful heart resists bitterness and sustains a soul even during the darkest hours of struggle. Though I might be perceived by some as a doe eyed innocent and others an ignorant pawn; I assure you I am neither. The innocence I’ve retained during my bloody battle of a life is hard fought and intentional. Rest assured though, I am no “lamb”. I stand before you a very proud lioness. I am blessed to work most directly with WWE’s CSR team. They are the division linked to cornerstone partnerships WWE has forged. Alongside my CSR team I am energized by incredible interactions with Boys and Girls Club, Special Olympics, Connor’s Cure, and Susan G. Komen. Our Unleash Your Warrior campaign was a year in the making. The unveiling of it is something for which I am deeply proud. Good work is always met with a certain level of cynicism. There’s not an insult anybody can lob or dig made that changes how I feel. I love the men Unleashing Their Warrior! The men who support battling this vicious disease have such valor and chivalry. I’ve read comments from these warriors about their mothers, sisters, wives, friends that make me weep. Men fight breast cancer too; an oft forgotten issue. I see value in so many facets of unleashing one’s warrior! Nobody agrees with anyone 100% of the time but nobody can deny October raises awareness for women (and men) to advocate for their OWN health and that alone calls to the Warrior in me!!! Once I stepped on a public stage to fight I became a public figure. I never sought this but now accept what comes with fighting on a public platform. My dearest pals are finding this hard to adjust to since they know my heart. Fear not besties! I am not afraid! I will not run away! “Like” me or “hate” me, it will not change my mission. I don’t want women dying of metastatic breast cancer. It pisses me off they do. Snipe, harangue, call me “ugly”, “stupid”, I don’t care...the benefit of being me is...I know me. If you won’t run with me fine... but before I mow you down... get out of my way. One day I’ll tell you the story of being in my dressing room and looking at my team member telling her I was scared. The look that crossed her face in retrospect is comical. Never had she heard me admit fear. Ever. When I proceeded to ask, “shouldn’t we find someone else?” she paused half a beat then confidently said, “No.”. I’m so glad she didn’t coddle me. I’m glad I was sent out to the faces of three Warrior Women in Denver who represent millions of women battling and surviving to stare down fear. Before we entered the ring I reminded myself THEY were the picture, I was just the frame. Before the lights came up and TV rolled I blew a kiss to heaven. I told Warrior I felt his power. I looked to the rafters of The Pepsi Center and felt the WWE Universe support the women we were there to honor. I remembered Warrior’s oft repeated advice to the girls “if you aren’t nervous you shouldn’t be doing this because it means you don’t care.”. When the first words left my mouth I melted into the campaign I’d come to help launch. I was so glad I had not run from the challenge before me as I called out names and belts were held overhead. The best part for me was grabbing the ropes and shaking them in homage to an act that defined him as ULTIMATE long ago. I believe NOBODY will ever shake the ropes as well as the late, great, Ultimate Warrior once did but that’s ok...I think he’d still be proud people run in and not away in the WARRIOR name. I believe we are called to SHAKE the ropes in our OWN life....ALWAYS!!! xo💖d Please support the spirit my late husband championed by heading to WWE SHOP and join us by UNLEASHING YOUR WARRIOR!! 100% of net proceeds benefit research, awareness, and prevention.