This Cyclist Beat Cancer (Twice!)–and She Hopes to Inspire Other Survivors
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Name: Sara Davenport
Age: 45
Hometown: Louisville, Colorado
Occupation: Agency Director, Modeling Agency
Time Cycling: My whole life, but more seriously the past 15 years
Reason for Cycling: Cycling has always been a way to have fun and get good exercise. Over the years, it’s evolved into a great workout that’s easier on my joints.
I was always a tomboy growing up and would ride bikes with all of the boys. I started doing more serious cycling when I signed up to do my first triathlon.
Ironically, I had lost a friend, Jett, to lymphoma, and his parents asked for donations to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) instead of flowers or anything else. I went online to make a donation, and saw that they had a program called Team in Training, where you can sign up for races and raise money for the LLS.
I signed up for the San Diego triathlon, and got my first road bike. It took me a long time to learn how to clip in and out without falling over! (I honestly still feel pretty nervous on a road bike—there’s something about being near cars and going fast that scares the crap out of me.) Then I did the Lavaman triathlon in Hawaii in 2011 through LLS in Jett’s honor, and raised just under $25,000 for the organization.
A few years later, I was actually diagnosed with lymphoma. I am now a two-time cancer survivor! It started when my mom noticed a lump on my neck over Christmas of 2013. That turned out to be metastatic thyroid cancer. I had a six-hour surgery removing my whole thyroid and lymph nodes in February 2014. Then, in April 2014, I had radioactive iodine treatment, a radiation therapy used to treat thyroid cancer. I was kept in isolation in the hospital and had to be checked with a Geiger counter (an electronic device used for detecting and measuring ionizing radiation) before they would release me, because I was giving off actual radiation!
Then, I felt a lump right behind my jaw bone and under my earlobe in November of 2015. That ended up being non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a diffuse large B-cell type. I had six cycles of chemotherapy.
I’m now in remission from both, and my health is good. I still deal with some aftermath, but for the lymphoma, I’m considered “cured.” However, I’m at a 25 percent risk of thyroid cancer returning, and it’s just something we have to watch for the rest of my life. Chemo also kicked me into menopause in my 30s—so I’m also dealing with the ramifications of that as well.
There are so many things I deal with because of going through cancer twice, but I’ve learned to roll with it all. It’s taken time, practice, therapy, meditation, movement—all of the things to help me learn how to ride the waves of life post-cancer. I still think “oh no, the cancer’s back,” anytime I don’t feel well, but I don’t dwell there as often as I used to.
I love taking spin classes, and I will probably always spin for the rest of my life. It’s fun and such a good workout! I also appreciate that there are so many bike paths in Colorado that aren’t anywhere near traffic. That helps me to get out and do it more here!
When I just focus on health and wanting to live a long and vibrantly healthy life, then I enjoy cycling and working out so much more! When I take a spin class, I get lost in the music and the challenge of hills and intervals. When I get outside and ride, I feel like a little kid again. It reminds me that I’m alive!
I started this year training for the Lavaman triathlon, and have been doing a more specific training plan. My goals with training usually look like two days of riding, two days of swimming and two days of walking/jogging. I also love to mix yoga in there as well. However, I’ve decided to hold off on doing Lavaman until 2023. The longer workouts needed to train for the race have been too hard on my body, so I’m choosing to listen to what my body needs at this time.
My recovery has changed over time. I still need extra rest, but not like before. Starting the process of training more seriously for the race felt really good. But I also realized my body needs more time. I’m looking at it like, this is the beginning! I can do the race in 2023 and maybe I just need an extra year to train. It’s felt really good getting in some more serious workouts, but I’m not seeing this as a defeat. This is just a redirect that I need to make sure I’m listening to my body and making that my guiding force. I still want to achieve that goal of doing the triathlon, but it’s more about the process of getting there that’s important to me now!
The biggest things I’ve learned going through cancer is perspective and gratitude. I really don’t sweat the small stuff anymore—and almost everything is small stuff now! If it’s not cancer, I can figure it out!
Also, I have so much gratitude for life and health. Being able to get on a bike is a privilege. There was a solid year during and after chemo when I had such horrible bone pain, I could barely walk, let alone ride a bike. Having legs that work is a gift. I don’t take it for granted at all.
Whether you are riding your bike just for fun or you are a serious cyclist, don’t forget to take in the beautiful world around you! That’s the cool thing about being out and riding–you get to see so much. Don’t miss it. And thank your legs, your lungs, your heart for working so hard for you! It’s a blessing!
These three tips have made my cycling journey a success:
1. Focus on health and fun
For me, exercise is about health and having fun! If I’m not enjoying myself, then why do it? Life’s too short to be miserable or hard on myself.
2. Listen to your body
Rest and recovery are just as important as pushing through a workout.
3. Be kind to yourself
This goes for working out and life in general! Going through cancer, and specifically through the recovery side of cancer, has taught me to REALLY listen to my body. I can’t push myself like I used to. I used to push my body way too hard. I was so out of touch with what my body actually needed. Now, I can tell when things are too much. The workout itself might feel awesome, but then if I need to sleep for two to three days to recover, that’s just too much.
I had a friend say to me after I finished chemo and was getting really down on myself for needing so much rest: “Sara, you’re the type of person who does things. When you feel better and can get up, you will. If you can’t get up and do stuff, you’re not being lazy. You truly just need the rest.” That really helped me see my recovery process in a new light. It was so true. When I have energy, I’m up and getting stuff done and enjoying it! When I don’t, I can barely move.
Sara’s Must-Have Gear
→Lululemon Fast and Free High Rise Tight 25": I’m obsessed with these leggings from Lululemon. I know they aren’t typical riding shorts, but they are my favorites for working out. And they transition nicely from biking to running! The fabric is sweat-wicking and so comfortable! They are my favorite!
→Clif Bloks: For the super long workouts, I’m a big fan of the Clif Bloks. I used to use the Gu packets, but it would always make me gag (LOL!). These are much easier for me to swallow, they taste good, and they help keep my energy up!
→Feetures Socks: These are my favorite workout socks! They stay in place and are so comfortable. I don’t even realize I’m wearing them. And they transition well from biking to running!
→Specialized Cycling Shoes: I love Specialized gear—especially their cycling shoes! They have lasted me forever. They are well made, fit well, and again, it’s like I don’t even know they are on, which is awesome!
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