Kara Guzzetti, Philadelphia Mets F2F Network Leader & YSC Tour de Pink® East Coast Rider from Team “Fighting Phillies”
- Kara, at right, at a metastatic breast cancer conference.
Kara was starting her career as a lawyer when, at the age of 29, she found out she had breast cancer. She worked through her treatment, and, while she had support from family, friends and colleagues, she knew something was missing.
Fortunately, Kara was approached by another young survivor who told her about Young Survival Coalition (YSC) and the local South Jersey YSC group near her home. Since attending her first YSC meeting, she has been involved with and working to give back to the organization that gave her so much.
Three and a half years later, Kara was told her breast cancer had spread and her disease had become metastatic. Now living in Philadelphia and a member of the local YSC group there, she has met several young women living with metastatic disease. Many of these women felt, “It would be helpful to have a more intimate meeting just for this smaller group.” Kara agreed and got the ball rolling.
In July 2013, Kara contacted YSC’s Northeast Region Field Manager (RFM) and talked about the idea of forming a YSC Face 2 Face (F2F) group just for metastatic women in the Philly area. Together with YSC, she set the plan into motion.
The first meeting of the new F2F was held in September 2013 just months after the idea’s inception. Kara wanted an environment that would be warm, intimate and comfortable, so she hosted the first meeting in her home. Optimizing YSC’s social networks, she invited young women living in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas.
As a young women living with metastatic disease, she knows firsthand there are days that might be physically harder than others. The group intends to hold all their meetings at members’ homes allowing for members who may be unable to travel. Kara believes, “It’s important to make this F2F as accessible as possible to the women who need it.”
As Kara takes on this new challenge, she continues to pursue her goal of riding alongside her Fighting Philly teammates in YSC’s Tour de Pink® (TdP). Last year she received a free Giant bicycle, which inspired her to train hard and pedal the 200 miles from Philadelphia to the nation’s capital Washington, D.C. Kara rode again ride in this year's TdP and lives every day focused on staying healthy and riding for her survivor sisters who can’t.
Thank you Kara for your determination to ensure YSC is able to meet the needs of young women living with metastatic breast cancer in Philadelphia.
