A couple from Danville is the epitome of team work.
Carrie Hendrick is the director of athletic training at Averett University. She beat ovarian cancer twice. Those who know her, know her as a survivor. Just ask her boyfriend Brent Skipper.
“Everyone sees her as very strong but behind closed doors there’s been some tough times, but we’ve definitely gotten through it,” Brent said.
“I’m still on some medications but I am cancer free,” Carrie said. “I am feeling good.”
She planned to run a half marathon to raise money for a cancer research organization close to her heart called theJimmy V Foundation.
“I’ve been able to see exactly what the foundation does with patients,” Carrie said. “I’ve been able to benefit from the V Foundation.”
However, just a few weeks before the Rock n’ Roll Marathon, Carrie’s doctor said she couldn’t do the half-marathon because of a recent surgery.
“Three weeks out she’s like ‘hey you’re running a marathon coming up here soon, be ready,’ so i’m like ‘oh alright,’ ” Brent said.
Three weeks isn’t much time to train, but Brent powered through.
“I just knew I had to keep pushing,” he said. “There were times where I was like ‘man this is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done’, but knowing I had Carrie’s name on my back I kept going and found a way.”
“When I was able to see him coming it was really emotional to see that here’s a guy who didn’t train at all,” Carrie said. ‘He’s all for cancer research, he’s taken me to treatment. He’s taken me to Duke many of times.”
Even though Carrie didn’t run the marathon, she ran the 5K. The couple plans on running again next year.
The team of Jimmy V Foundation runners raised more than $600,000 for cancer research at the event.
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