#BraveLikeKalena
Name: Kalena Clauer
Age: 19
Diagnosis: Stage 2 thyroid cancer
Years of Survivorship: 1.5 years
Location: Wisconsin
Follow Kalena on Instagram.
How has running or staying physically active affected your cancer journey?
Running has given me a purpose while recovering from radiation and surgery. I had a standard to reach for. Being active has allowed me to understand my body so much, especially during a time when I needed to relearn how to function with less organs. Running gave me an outlet for all the negative thoughts and feelings that come with such a diagnosis.
What advice do you have for people on staying fit throughout their cancer treatment or recovery?
Give yourself some slack. It is so easy to always compare yourself to what you used to be able to do, but there is no real standard. Set small goals and allow yourself time to heal. You will never be the same as you used to be, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. You don't have to be a superhero. Just do what you can do and be proud of every step your body can take.
What are some of your proudest accomplishments since being diagnosed with cancer?
Since being diagnosed with cancer I joined a collegiate cross country and track team. I am not even close to being the fastest runner on the course, but I am so grateful to be able to compete. Since learning that I am cancer free, I have dropped approximately three minutes in the 6K and I hope to continue with that success. I have led fundraisers for the Brave Like Gabe Foundation, as well as over $6,000 for the oncology ward at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. I entered my freshman year of college when I had cancer, and I am proud that I stuck with it, as I am still pursuing a degree in chemistry at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point.
How has Gabe's story impacted you or changed the way you view life as a cancer patient/survivor?
When I joined the cross country team at Stevens Point I had a meeting with the coaching staff to explain my unique health situation. I was nervous to explain that I had cancer and that I still wanted to try to run. The assistant coach looked at me and said "so you’re like Gabe?" I had heard of Gabe's story before, but I never really thought I could be like her. I am not even close to being a world class athlete. But after the meeting I followed her on instagram and I saw that we had the same scar on our necks and we both loved to run. From then on I had this new confidence. I had never seen someone who looked like me still trying to be an athlete. Gabe really gave me hope that I could still be a runner and that I could inspire others.
What does being #BraveLikeKalena mean to you?
Being #BraveLikeKalena means having hope even when the situation feels hopeless. It means that you keep fighting with a smile on your face and you continue to do more with less. I've lost the better part of three organs, but that doesn't mean I can't do anything I put my mind to. I run because I can, and because I am incredibly grateful to be alive today.
What are you most looking forward to in the near future?
I look forward to continuing my running career and I hope to run a marathon in honor of Gabe.
Is there anything else you'd like us to know about you?
I lost over half my left lung when I was 15. I was diagnosed with a congenital sequestration and I underwent a 9 hour surgery to remove the lower lobe of my left lung. Surgery did not go as planned and I spent 21 days in the ICU in and out of critical condition. Between that surgery and the total thyroidectomy I had in 2018, I no longer have a thyroid, parathyroids, and half of my lung. Losing these three organs has been incredibly hard on me both physically and mentally. I struggled for a long time as I just didn't feel like the same person. How could I? I lost a part of me. I fully believe that I am not the same person I once was. I am now more full of hope that I ever was and I want to share that hope with others.