“Not me”

When Anja was diagnosed with breast cancer, she could hardly believe it at first. “Not me,” she recalls thinking. Cancer had always been something that happened to other people. But suddenly, everything moved very quickly. Chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy soon defined her daily life. What helped her through that time was movement, connecting with other patients and the determination not to lose herself.

Anja is far from alone in her experience. Nearly one in two women will develop cancer at some point in their lives. According to the Robert Koch Institute, the figure is around 43 percent. The most common type of cancer among women is breast cancer.

Anja works in Participant Management at SCC EVENTS — and last year, she received exactly that diagnosis. She first noticed changes herself and initially assumed it was a harmless cyst. But the mammogram confirmed her fears. From that moment on, everything happened fast: chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy.

Between fear and exhaustion

Especially during chemotherapy, Anja often felt drained and physically exhausted, with little energy or motivation. “Of course there were phases when I had almost no motivation or simply felt extremely weak physically,” she says.

Before the surgery, she was particularly afraid. Radiation therapy, on the other hand, was something she underestimated — it left her “unbelievably tired.”

And yet, there were better days too. Mondays, the day before her next round of chemotherapy, were usually when she felt strongest. Small moments of relief during a very difficult time.

One especially painful moment was the first day her hair started falling out. Eventually, she asked her boyfriend to shave it all off. “I just wanted to get that step over with,” she says.

Despite everything, Anja tried to maintain as much normality in her everyday life as possible. She is the mother of a 19-year-old daughter and did not want to be seen at home only as “the woman with cancer.” Every day, she got dressed, put on makeup and tried not to lose herself in the process.

Step by step back to movement

What helped Anja most was movement, even though getting started was difficult. “Overcoming that inner resistance wasn’t always easy. Often, I wouldn’t have managed on my own,” she says. Support from her family — someone encouraging and motivating her — made a huge difference.

Sometimes it was only a short walk around the block. Sometimes just a few steps in her own yard. But every step mattered. “Movement was the only thing that really helped with the side effects — physically and mentally.”

Strength through community

Alongside movement, connecting with other patients became another important source of strength. At the day clinic, Anja met incredible women with whom she could share experiences and fears. “Those conversations took away a lot of my fear,” she says. At the same time, she was also able to encourage others to stay active themselves.

“There is no Plan B”

Remarkably, Anja remained active throughout her treatment and even took part in running events, including the adidas Runners City Night, the Berlin New Year’s Eve Run and the Potsdam Palace Run.

For her, one thing was clear: “There is no Plan B. You just have to get through it.” That mindset, combined with her positive attitude, carried her through therapy.

What remains

Today, Anja looks back not only on an incredibly challenging period, but also on what she learned from it. She has learned to listen to herself. To set boundaries. To say “no” sometimes.

At the same time, not everything simply disappears once treatment ends. The uncertainty remains — as it does for many survivors. But so does the trust in her own strength.

Together at the VITAMIN WELL Women's Race Berlin

This year, Anja will take part in the VITAMIN WELL Women's Race Berlin on May 16 — with a completely new perspective.

“I’m really looking forward to that day. I’ll be starting together with women I met during rehabilitation.”

For many years, the VITAMIN WELL Women's Race Berlin has supported women with cancer. One euro from every registration fee is donated to Berliner Krebsgesellschaft e.V., with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting women with cancer who are facing financial hardship.

For Anja, the event has now taken on a very personal meaning as well.