Scott and Kristine Horvath have had their ups and downs when it comes to pancreatic cancer. After dealing with both the positive and negative outcomes of pancreatic cancer, they want to bring awareness to the disease and give hope to those fighting it.
In February 2010, Kristine’s brother-in-law was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. After undergoing whipple surgery, a couple rounds of chemotherapy, and radiation, he was cancer free and has been ever since.
In December 2014, Scott’s mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. After undergoing chemotherapy and going from doctor for doctor, she lost her battle a little over two years after being diagnosed. These experiences have made both Kristine and Scott appreciative of their lives and everything they have.
“It had made us both realize that we can’t take anything for granted. You need to live in the moment and appreciate every minute you have,” Kristine said. “We also live our best life every day and pass this on to our two kids as well.”
In November 2017, Scott and Kristine participated in their first Push/Pull workout at CrossFit RedZone. Since then, they’ve become more involved with Project Purple and became ambassadors in the beginning of 2018. Since then, they’ve hosted and put together competitions to raise money and awareness for pancreatic cancer.
They hosted a Push/Pull event in November 2018, where they had the gym with the highest number of members. In June 2019, they put together their first CrossFit competition with friend Michela Greco called Sweet Tatas. This competition raised money to benefit both pancreatic and breast cancer. When asked why they continue to host these events, they said they want people to experience the positives opposed to the negatives.
“Since we have experienced both a positive and negative outcome from pancreatic cancer, we want to bring as much awareness as we can so that more people experience the positive than the negative,” they said. “We want people to push for more tests when they aren’t feeling well and know the possible symptoms of pancreatic cancer.”
When asked how they believe more awareness can be brought to pancreatic cancer research, they believe early detection should be one of the main focuses.
“Early detection is key—majority of the time when pancreatic cancer is caught, it is too late,” Kristine said. “My brother-in-law was extremely lucky, and they caught it early and he is now almost 10 years cancer free, which is unheard of.”
Project Purple has given Scott and Kristine a platform to bring awareness and to help fund research for pancreatic cancer. It’s a way for them to bring their passion for fitness and use it towards bringing awareness, raising money, and providing patient support.
They raised over $4,000 at their last competition and are hoping to raise over $5,000 next year. They want those battling this disease to continue to have faith and fight for a cure.
“Keep fighting,” they said. “Get those second opinions and never give up!”
