Anne Dirkse is an avid cyclist, endurance athlete, software developer, and lover of all things outdoors from Loveland, Colorado. On this episode of the Project Purple Podcast, she shares the personal philosophies that guide her through her Stage 4 pancreatic cancer journey. Diagnosed in March 2025, Anne draws on a lifetime of physical fitness, nutrition, and resilience to face the challenges of her disease with clarity and agency.
She reflects on how subtle changes in her energy and eating habits prompted her to seek medical care, and how early scans missed the pancreatic mass despite her proactive screenings, highlighting the stealthy and aggressive nature of the disease. Rather than framing her experience as a battle, Anne focuses on what she can control: maintaining her exercise routine, prioritizing nutrition, and breaking daunting challenges into manageable steps.
A lifelong adventurer, Anne shares how long-distance biking, backpacking, and other physical pursuits have shaped her mental and physical resilience. She also emphasizes the crucial role of family, friends, and her medical team in providing support, as well as how connecting with others who have faced pancreatic cancer has given her hope and perspective.
Currently undergoing chemotherapy, Anne encourages listeners to find silver linings in the challenges, pursue what matters most to them, and live fully in the face of uncertainty, guided by the motto: “while we live, let us live.”
You can reach Anne at https://annedirkse.com/
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