Name: Sophia Fedak
Age: 15
Diagnosis: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Years of Survivorship: 2 years
Location: Pennsylvania

Follow Sophia on Instagram.

How has running or staying physically active affected your cancer journey? 

Before each of my three cancer journeys, I always loved horses and rode all of the time. It was not until my second relapse of childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) that I was super into riding and competing. I knew that after my bone marrow transplant in 2020, I would have to be active if I was going to get back into riding. 

After my transplant, I was extremely tired and dreaded my daily 3-5 min walks, but I knew that was the only way I was going to improve. Since I was in the hospital for 2 months straight mostly in my hospital bed, I lost a lot of my muscle. When I got home I did have some encouragement to move more from my mini horse, Loretta, who I bought in 2017 when I went through an immunotherapy treatment at CHOP known as CART19.  It was my 2nd time fighting cancer then and I thought, ”why not order a mini horse from my hospital bed!” I thought if I couldn’t ride, I would at least have a mini that would keep me active. And snuggle with! I taught Loretta to pull a cart so if I wasn’t feeling up to walking that day, I would just go on a cart ride to get out in the fresh air. 

I eventually knew I was making progress once I was able to walk a nice distance or go up flights of stairs without being too tired. Baby steps eventually led to big gains and before I knew it, I was feeling strong once again.

What advice do you have for people on staying fit throughout their cancer treatment or recovery?

Staying fit is one of the best things you can do for your health during your cancer journey. Eating well, getting up every day and doing some kind of movement, even if it's just for a minute or two, makes a huge difference mentally and physically.  Staying active is the one thing you can control. Whether it's running, swimming, doing sports, riding or just going out for walks with your dog, just don’t lose hope and know that you can get back to how you were before your diagnosis…or even better! For me, getting back to horse riding and growing all of my muscles back seemed impossible, but if you start with the simple things like getting up to grab water for yourself and doing things around the house, you will eventually get to where you want to be. 

What are some of your proudest accomplishments since being diagnosed with cancer?

When I could get back on a horse and have a jump lesson, I knew that I was truly getting back on track and getting stronger. I eventually was competing again and getting more confident everyday. Another moment that I am proud of is when I started training for the 5K at the Silos. I could barely run a mile to begin with and now I just hit my 3.1 mile goal! I have also trained my two mini horses and hope to share them with many people. They bring joy and smiles and are great therapy animals for anyone who is having a hard time and needs to relax. I also love to cook and bake bread which began from the need to get healthy and gain weight after my transplant in 2020.

How has Gabe's story impacted you or changed the way you view life as a cancer patient/survivor?

My mom and I love watching all of the Magnolia Network shows and have always wanted to go to Waco to see the Silos. I wasn’t ever interested in running but when I saw the documentary “Courage to Run” and heard Gabe’s story, it all changed. It inspired me to start running and be an inspiration for other people like Gabe was/is an inspiration to me. I just hit my goal of 3.1 miles and my new goal is to get faster so I could possibly try and win the 5K for Gabe. She was truly brave. When I think of her, I will always think there’s nothing that I can’t at least try to accomplish. 

What does being #BraveLikeSOPHIA mean to you?

I hope that I can be an inspiration for other girls my age that are going through a hard time, to see that there is light at the end of that long, dark, painful tunnel. No matter how many times cancer decides to try to take over, you can fight, get back up again and do what makes you feel good and happy!

What are you most looking forward to in the near future?

I hope that one day I can visit many places in Italy, Germany (where my transplant donor is from) and go explore the world! Maybe even run a 5K abroad! In the last couple of years while I was trying to regain my strength and get my health back, I fell in love with cooking. After watching various cooking shows like “Giada and Bobby in Italy,” I would love to explore other countries and learn cooking techniques and possibly attend a culinary school. In the meantime, I will enjoy my family, continue to cook and exercise outdoors whenever I can.

is there anything else you'd like us to know about you?

I’m not only running for Gabe but I’m also running for Jane Marczewski, Nightbirde, who recently passed away from her long battle with cancer. She auditioned on AGT and sang her original song “It’s OK.” She would always encourage everyone to have “Rebellious Hope." I love that saying and it inspires me so much. She had such a beautiful soul. I will never forget both Gabe and Jane.

Sophia ran and completed her first 5K in Waco, TX on April 23rd, 2022

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