Everyone is Touched


According to the American Cancer Society,an estimated 1.7 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer in 2018.

At any given moment, there are 15.5 million living with a history of cancer. While some of these individuals were recently diagnosed, most were diagnosed many years ago and have no evidence of cancer.

Cancer touches everyone at some point, some time.

"Courage is
grace under pressure"

Who is a ‘Survivor’

Cancer Survivor Jack Ganster

Jack Ganster, Founder SOE

At SOE, the belief is that you become a ‘survivor’ at the moment that you are told of your critical diagnosis. You do not need for a certain time period to elapse, nor do you need to wait for test results to become a ‘survivor.’ It is natural to consider yourself  a ‘victim’ at first,  but you need to think of it this way;  Being a ‘victim’ is a state of body and being a ‘survivor’ is a ‘state of mind’.

SOE will provide participants with the tools that enable them to live as a ‘survivor’ and leave the ‘victim’ behind. During the week we will discuss some philosophical differences between ‘victim’ and ‘survivor.’

Read the companion article “Becoming a Survivor”


"Courage is
grace under pressure"
"I am not what happened to me,
I am what I choose to become"
"The meaning of life
is a life with meaning"
"Cancer may leave your body, but it never leaves your life"
"The healing powers of participating in outdoor activities while exploring the natural world are powerful and profound.

A sense of calm and a feeling of contentment are reached when surrounded by nature."
"Accept how 'not normal' you are, and do your best to become as 'normal' as you can given the circumstances."