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Strength, Grace, and Gratitude: cancer and skating find common ground with Kaleidoscope On Ice
| Source: |
Skate Today |
| Date: |
November 15, 2011 |
| Author: |
Tina Tyan |
Cancer. It's a scary word. It's a word that carries the shadow of
mortality and the possibility of loss, and affects 1 out of every 3
people.
Survivor. It's a hopeful word. It's a word that, combined with the
first word, describes millions of people in the world today. Cancer
survivors.
Kaleidoscope on Ice, now in its third year, celebrates cancer
survivorship, and uses skating and music to raise awareness of various
cancer issues and initiatives.
The show draws together a stellar collection of skating and musical
talent each year, all of whom have been affected by cancer in some
way, and for whom the theme of survivorship has special meaning. I
recently had the chance to interview three of the skaters who will be
performing in the show Friday night.
What cancer survivorship means
Four-time World Champion Kurt Browning is returning for his second
Kaleidoscope show, and says he'll likely keep coming back for as long
as they want him.
"The faces that come to this show and perform on the stage, that
perform on the ice, are all there for a very specific reason. They're
not chosen necessarily because they're current, or because they have
an amazing triple axel. They're chosen because of how cancer has
touched their lives."
Returning cast member Olympic silver medalist Paul Wylie also
performed in the show last year. Both of Wylie's parents are cancer
survivors; his father underwent surgery for prostate cancer 10 years
ago, while his mother had non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and has gone through
two rounds of chemotherapy to reach her current state of
remission. Kaleidoscope is an opportunity for him to pay tribute to
his parents, and to support the cause of cancer survivorship, to which
he ascribes a great deal of meaning.
"It means a person who has faced and endured one of life's toughest
battles with heroism. It means a family and friends who have been
there and tried their best to be helpful, even if it's just a shoulder
to cry on, or vent their fears to...it means doctors and nurses who have
intervened with the help of medicines made possible by years of
research. It means wearing a yellow bracelet or a pink ribbon to walk
down the aisle to give your daughter away, or to play with
grandchildren or children in the backyard. It means a new perspective
on life, and a second or a third or fourth chance. Quite simply, it
means more time."
Browning, who lost both parents and his father-in-law to cancer,
echoes this sentiment. To him, cancer survivorship means he had an
extra 20 years to get to know his father, who was a three-time survivor
before finally succumbing to the disease in 2008.
"Had the first attack taken him, then I wouldn't have gotten to know
him as an adult the way I got to. When Mom was gone, that sort of
pushed our relationship to another level and I started taking him on
the road with me. We started traveling together. And I learned stories
about him I never knew. We sat down at 8 o'clock in the morning in
Saskatoon and at 2:30 we were still sitting there – just never got up,
just talking, in a cafeteria in the lobby," he reflected. "Also, he
wrote two books in that time. So, personally, I got sort of a second
chance with my father."
On a less personal level, Browning emphasizes that survivorship is
"just not giving up. You know, we don't give up on the planet, we're
trying not to give up on the Middle East, we're trying not to give up
on pollution, we're trying not to give up on cancer."
"Never giving in" is also what survivorship means to three-time World
Champion and two-time Olympic silver medalist Elvis Stojko, who
believes strongly "that the mind can perform miracles if one
believes."
Stojko, whose aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago,
is inspired by his work with kids at the Ronald McDonald
House.
"Cancer touches everyone in some way and the kids that I have met all
have an incredible spirit to survive. Staying positive is the most
important aspect and they taught me that many years ago," he
says.
Dealing with adversity
How do you respond when one of your loved ones is diagnosed in cancer?
The answer is different for everyone.
Paul Wylie found strength in his family and his faith.
"I rely heavily on my faith in God, trusting that adversity is never
handled alone," he said. "My wife, family and friends have always been
supportive when life's bumps have hit me hard."
For Elvis Stojko, strength of mind is key.
"The body always follows the mind, and adversity is a test along the
way to prepare you for the next challenge," he says.
Stojko believes that there is more than one way to fight and defeat
cancer, and that alternative methods can help when mainstream
solutions don't seem to work. When his aunt was diagnosed, he set her
up with a specialist in geothermic stress, who he says has helped his
aunt greatly in her fight against cancer.
"[That was] unorthodox compared to the mainstream stuff...but it
work[ed]", he says.
Sometimes, the reality is that there is no one strategy that can help
you get through it, and all you can do is try to stay afloat. Kurt
Browning knows this reality all too well.
"You know, I [didn't] have the strength to deal with it. I didn't deal
with it... I just did a lot of pretending and, you know, was strong,
and loved him as much as I could, but I don't know..." He laughed
ruefully, "Deal with it? How do you deal with a tidal wave?"
Looking forward to Kaleidoscope
One thing these skaters can rely on is the support of their friends in
the skating community, and Kaleidoscope gives them the
opportunity to come together with those friends in support of a cause
they are all personally invested in.
Kurt Browning explained,"You look around the dressing room and it's a
cozy feeling. It's a community. It's a mini-community, more than other
shows, and I really like that."
That sense of community carries over into the show itself, and is
strengthened by the long-term connections between many of the
skaters. Last year, long-time Stars on Ice tour mates Kurt
Browning, Paul Wylie, and Kaleidoscope co-host Scott Hamilton
had a sort of a mini-reunion at Kaleidoscope, giving them a
welcome opportunity to catch up and reminisce.
Wylie reflected, "It was wonderful. We talked about our kids and our
lives outside of skating the whole time. We have shared so many of
life's experiences together that it felt great to be back
together."
Browning was even more effusive. "It was awesome. It was really
awesome to hang out with those two guys again. It was a real mixture
of feeling like nothing has changed, and feeling like everything had
changed, and it was just depending on what story we were telling at
the time."
He says he enjoyed revisiting old memories with them, and talking
about their current lives.
"More than that, I think just the three of us kind of just liked
feeling that little bubble that we created back in time, and being
able to revisit it again just because we were standing beside each
other, like a reunion does for people. [...] We were in the same
dressing room and we were getting ready for the same show and we were
there for the same purpose which was to come together at 7 o'clock at
night and do a show, and that felt good."
Kaleidoscope also gives the skaters the chance sometimes to
"take the challenge of really skating to something that is
gut-wrenching, with a message," Browning said.
"Last year, when I did 'Christmas for Cowboys', that was a song that I
choreographed and performed weeks after Dad had passed away. So doing
that one again was a chance to sort of revisit my father and wear his
hat on the ice and wear his shirt and his belt and all that stuff. It
was very very personal."
This year, Stojko also chose programs that had specific
meaning. "'Lift You Up' is about bringing people together and using
the positive energy to bring happiness. 'When a Hero Cries' shows
vulnerability no matter how strong you are, or how people see how
strong you are. There has to be balance... this balance gives you
strength," he explained.
Despite the serious topic at its heart, though, the show is, more than
anything, about celebrating survivorship. It's an opportunity for the
skaters to entertain and to bring a message of hope and life, as well
as to perform with some of the brightest musical talent out
there.
For this year's show, Browning is going a little less personal, and a
little more fun. One of his numbers will be to "Storm Warning", with
up-and-coming country star Hunter Hayes performing live.
Wylie will also be performing with one of the musical guests, skating
to Andy Grammer's "Keep Your Head Up." He is also looking forward to
another one of the musical artists who is bringing her talents to the
Kaleidoscope stage.
"Patti LaBelle is an amazing performer. I unabashedly jumped up on
stage to sing Lady Marmalade during the opening of the then new Boston
Garden (it was called the Fleet Center then). She is so fantastic and
fun," he says.
For Wylie, who moved to the Charlotte area several years ago, the show
is a particularly exciting opportunity to bring old friends to his
adopted community.
"Nancy Kerrigan, my long-time friend and training partner is coming to
Charlotte, and that will be great! I am also excited to see the
skaters returning from last year, and Elvis and the Kerrs who I
haven't seen in a while. Oh, and I am excited to have the show in
Charlotte, to have all of my new friends come to watch!"
While the live show will be held in Charlotte on Nov. 18, the show
will be broadcast on FOX on Thanksgiving Day. It's a good fit for
Thanksgiving – a time when we gather with friends and family and count
our blessings. A time to celebrate those who lend us strength, and to
reflect on those we've lost.
In the end, I asked each of these skaters what they are thankful
for.
Elvis Stojko said, "I give thanks for my wife, friends and
family. That I have the opportunity to go after whatever I wish in
life, and that I have the positive mind to overcome
adversity."
Paul Wylie's response was heartfelt. "There is so much! Most
importantly, my loving wife and three children, Hannah 7, Emma 5 and
Caleb 3, as well as my friends. I am thankful for the little hugs in
the morning and for the sweet chaos going on in the backyard, the
backseat or around the kitchen table. I am thankful for health and the
gifts God has given us, even the tough things! I am thankful to be
able to skate and to ski, to feel the wind in my hair. I am thankful
for music, words, and other means to express how we feel... to grow in
understanding of these things. I am thankful my parents will be in
Charlotte for Turkey Day!"
Kurt Browning gave a more joking, but ultimately sincere
response. "Being thankful is all relative, and I don't mean the people
who come to your house and stay 3 days longer than they said they
would, I mean in comparison. It is easy to take for granted what we
assume cannot be taken away from us. Youth does that to us, we feel
invincible, but age has a way of showing us that we can lose anything
at any time. Like hair, for example. But instead of putting our focus
on what we do not have, I believe we should nurture what we do have."
He added, "And besides, when I look at Paul Wylie and Elvis Stojko I
am so thankful for my hairline. Who would want to spend that much time
combing and silly fussing."
He concluded more seriously. "So, I nurture the memories of lost loved
ones, but try to stay in the moment and respect each smile and laugh
that life offers."
Kaleidoscope comes to the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, NC on
Friday, Nov. 18. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster. The show
stars Kurt Browning, Paul Wylie, Elvis Stojko, Johnny Weir, Sasha
Cohen, Joannie Rochette, Nancy Kerrigan, and Sinead & John Kerr, with
musical guests Patti LaBelle, Jordin Sparks, Hunter Hayes, and Andy
Grammer. Kaleidoscope will air on Nov. 24 from 4-5PM on
FOX.
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