The light in Barbara Kennedy is burning more brightly than ever before.
After being diagnosed with colon cancer, she was told by her family doctor she had three months to live. That was almost a year and a half ago.
She's still here. She's still fighting. She's still striding confidently into her future.
Kennedy is a shining example of the power of the human spirit. She's also a proud Canadian, one who happens to be passionate about all things athletic. On Saturday, in a poignant representation of personal victory, she'll carry the Olympic flame high above her head. Kennedy will be an Olympic torchbearer in Fraser Lake, a short drive west of Prince George.
"I just feel very fortunate to be part of the group," said Kennedy, a 46-year-old Prince George resident and a single mother of three. "You feel like you're part of the Olympics, even though it's just a small, little part to play. And you think of all the people that have passed the torch on and just the history of the Olympics.
"It's my 15 minutes (of fame)," she added. "And I think considering everything else that's happened, it will be a good day."
Kennedy, via a contest on the Internet, applied to carry the torch a little more than a year ago. As part of her application, she wrote a letter in which she described her love of Canada.
She made no mention of her illness.
"Then you just waited to hear back whether or not you were selected," Kennedy said.
"I absolutely forgot about it and then received a couple of (e-mails) - 'You may be on the list, we might be choosing you.' And then finally, 'You have been chosen.' That was on Dec. 17. I was just very pleased and very excited. I'm one of 12,000, so I felt special."
Kennedy said she's not sure why she'll be part of the festivities in Fraser Lake, but probably because it's in the same general region as Prince George.
She plans to make the trip west today, and she won't be alone. Her daughters - 22-year-old Christine, 17-year-old Rachel and three-year-old Ceylyn - will be with her. So, too, will her sister, Cheri Dudley, brother-in-law, Chris, and their four kids. The Dudley family lives in Mission and wanted to be present for the special day.
Kennedy, in her official torchbearer uniform, will carry the flame approximately 300 metres, from a starting point along Tunasa Cres. Without a doubt, tears of pride will be flowing from the eyes of her supporters.
To her daughters, Kennedy has always been an inspiration.
"She has always been our hero because she's such a hard worker," said Christine, a heart and soul member of the UNBC Northern Timberwolves women's basketball team. "She's definitely the best mom any girl could ask for."
Christine isn't the least bit surprised with how strong and positive her mom has remained during her ongoing battle with cancer.
"All I've ever really known is my mom to be a positive person and I would never expect any different from her," Christine said. "It's incredibly inspiring and it makes you think differently about the little things we take for granted and the little things people get upset about. My mom keeps a smiling face and encourages us girls despite everything she has to go through."
When she was originally diagnosed with colon cancer on Sept. 15, 2008, Kennedy was told her condition was inoperable. She started going to the cancer clinic inside the Prince George hospital for chemotherapy treatment. And, under the watchful eyes of Dr. Winston Bishop and the nursing staff, she progressed to the point where surgery was possible. Her operation was performed in Prince George on Sept. 23, 2009, by Dr. Ramesh Lokanathan.
Kennedy is continuing with her chemotherapy schedule because the cancer cells did spread to other areas of her body. All the way through her ordeal, she has been tremendously thankful for the care she has received.
"At the clinic, there's nothing wrong with giving patients hope," she said. "Dr. Bishop is a very intelligent, educated man and he has such compassion for the people there. The surgeon I had, Dr. Lokanathan, he's a legend at that hospital, the things that he's doing.
"I just couldn't imagine getting through all of it without the type of doctors and surgeons and nurses that we have here," added Kennedy, who owns and operates a successful local accounting firm, Axiom Business Corporation.
Kennedy still has a long way to go before she can say she's cancer-free. But, each morning when she wakes up, she'll keep battling.
"No matter what happens, I just want everything to be with dignity and a lot of hope," she said. "Whatever happens we can face it together, just because of the support and the type of family I have. And I'm very, very hopeful. It's not so much how long we're here though, really. It's the quality while we're here and I'm just making the best of it every day. I truly do love my life."
