October 12, 2018 – Legendary U.S. cross-country skier and Olympic gold medalist Kikkan Randall is a marvel and an inspiration for many reasons, not the least of which is her positive, exercise-focussed approach during her treatment for breast cancer.

SkiTrax caught up with Randall, a day after her fifth chemotherapy treatment, and she was in good spirits, looking ahead to her sixth and last treatment set for Oct. 22.

“I am usually feeling pretty good the day of and day after,” she says, on the phone from Anchorage, Alaska. “I start to feel the icky fluish feeling after that and it lasts a few days. Still, through that, I’m still able to get out and get some light exercise.”

Randall and family moved to Penticton, B.C. this past spring, but her health care coverage hadn’t kicked in, so she’s been returning home to Anchorage for treatments. This month, she came a few days early to participate in a fundraising walk and run organized by the local community called Strides Against Breast Cancer.

“I talked to everybody and then jumped in a 5K run,” Randall says.

She says since making her diagnosis public, she’s had so many people offer her support and encouragement, including sponsors. Cast in point: Rudy Project sunglasses.

On Oct. 1, to mark the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Randall and Rudy Project released a limited edition pair of pink Tralyx sunglasses — a model Randall wore in competition. With the sale of each pair, $50 will be donated to the charitable organization Aktiv Against Cancer.

Randall first encountered the charitable organization Aktiv Against Cancer at a World Cup race in Norway. Over the years, she’s always made a point of teaming up with the group, which encourages cancer patients to stay active in addition to funding research.

“They had these exercise rooms in the hospital called breathing rooms, and we’d come and do a workout with them,” she says. “It was inspiring to see people going through really difficult challenges, the camaraderie that develops with them and how exercise helped them to stay positive.”

When Randall retired from competition this past spring following her gold medal-winning performance with Jessie Diggins in the women’s Team Sprint in PyeongChang, South Korea at the 2018 Winter Olympics, amongst the many offers and honours was one from Aktiv who wanted to present her with an inspiration award at the New York City Marathon the following fall.

Two weeks later, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and a new, stronger bond was formed between the Olympic athlete and Aktiv. And it was one that has benefited Randall in more ways than one, perhaps none more important than her public commitment to the cause — staying active throughout her treatment.

“During the first round of chemo, one day I was lying on the couch feeling miserable. I just thought, ‘I’d made this commitment’, so I was going to rally and go for a hike with friends,” she says. “We ended up going for four hours. I didn’t feel great but it was good to be out there, a good distraction to be with friends. And, an hour or two later I did start to feel better.”

But it didn’t end there. This is “kikkanimal”, one of the best American cross-country skiers of her generation with 17 U.S. national titles, three Sprint Cup globes, numerous Nordic World Championship medals, and five trips to the Olympic Games. Two weeks into chemotherapy she was doing intervals and strength training.

“When I am out there running, biking, skiing I can feel like my normal self and like cancer isn’t even part of my life,” she says. “It’s only when I come in and take my helmet off and look in the mirror and say oh shoot I don’t have any hair, and go whoa.”

After Oct. 22, Randall will undergo surgery and radiation. But she’s already got her sights to mid-winter and she can start to plan the post-retirement athletic schedule she never got a chance to.

Already on her radar, skiing 50K at the Birkie, in addition to following up on an invitation she received to do some sprint races in China. Next summer, who knows? Marathon here, mountain bike stage race there. She’s got options for the first time in a long time, almost too many.

“I’ve had 20 years of structure and clear goals and it’s really fun to not have to follow anything, I get out there and I’m almost debilitated by the choice,” she says. “It’ll be cool to have a little bit of a different structure and goals and go after something big so I can back to feeling strong again.”

News on Kikkan’s Inspiration Award here.
Rudy Project sunglasses here.
Kikkan’s blog here.