Julia Siegal
September 10, 2019 - 9:28 pm
I’m honoured to be fighting alongside my husband Josh Siegal in the 2020 Fight To End Cancer. I fight for his Grandmother Roz, and for my friends and family that are scared to have kids because cancer runs in their family. Wonderful, incredible people are lost to this horrible disease every day, and if I can do even a little bit to help bring us closer to eradicating it, that would be an awesome feeling.
I’m sincerely humbled and honoured to be a part of the 2020 Fight to End Cancer (FTEC) team. I first learned about the FTEC a few years ago. Immediately, the words challenge, sacrifice, commitment, and strength came to mind. I knew I wanted to be a part of it.
Cancer plagues us all. If you’re lucky enough not to have lost a family member or close friend to cancer it doesn’t mean you haven’t been affected. It doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. It doesn’t mean you haven’t shed a tear, been at a loss for words, or truly grasped the feeling of helplessness when this disease unfairly... 
We all know someone affected by cancer, either directly or indirectly. While some overcome it, many do not. I’ve been a witness to both circumstances: my one grandfather battled colon cancer, and at almost 90 years old, he is healthy, cancer-free and still hitting the slopes each ski season. The other, however, I never had the pleasure of knowing, because he was taken at a young age by lung cancer. 
I am participating in the 9th Annual Fight To End Cancer in support of The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. I am raising research dollars with a vision of reaching a goal we all share – To Conquer Cancer In Our Lifetime!
What started out as only wanting to try something new, very quickly turned into an opportunity to be a part of something more impactful than I ever imagined was possible. Cancer has affected us all in one way or another and it does not discriminate. Cancer doesn’t care how old someone is, how meaningful they are to those around them, or how shattered it will leave the... 
Life can be strange sometimes. There are days when you feel invincible like you’re on top of the world, and then there are days when life throws you into situations, where nothing can prepare you for the harsh reality that awaits. For me, life hit our family hard on January 24, 2018, when my father Simon, lost his battle with cancer.
And I still remember that day like it was yesterday. 
My grandmother, Roz, was one of the toughest women around. She grew up the oldest of three sisters, her family having next to nothing. No matter what life threw at her, there was always a fire burning inside her. A passion, energy, that could never be dimmed.
She travelled the world. She raised four children. She was an unbelievably doting wife to her husband, my grandfather, Marvin. No matter how busy she was, she always had time and energy for her family. No one had ever seen her scared of anything. 
In February 2019, I joined Grafton Apparel as their Human Resources Manager. When I joined the company, I knew we sponsored Fight to End Cancer…but didn’t understand the depth of what went into this incredible fundraising event until June 2019, when I was invited to attend.
When I was sitting in my chair, spectating, I said to myself (and everyone at my table…as I realized I had been speaking my inner thoughts out loud) – that I was going to put my ‘hat in the ring’ and tryout for next years fight. 
For the incredible women in my life who have fought for their lives against cancer, I want to honour them. When cancer hits, life still goes on, but with the physical, financial, and emotional burdens that cancer brings. Though I have not physically experienced it first hand, I understand how devastating and life-changing the impacts of cancer can be. I’m proud to be participating in the 9th annual Fight To End Cancer in support of The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. I am raising research dollars with a vision of reaching a goal we all share – To Conquer Cancer In Our Lifetime! 
I was sitting on a plane in Calgary when a text came through to tell me that a friend of mine had passed away due to cancer. The feeling and shock that I felt that day has never left me. Up until that point, I was largely untouched by cancer and because of that, I had an ignorance towards this disease and the affects, both physically and emotionally, that it has on people living with the disease and their loved ones. Since that time I have had a few family members battle cancer. It is because of their fight that I chose to join this fight. The commitment to the training, fundraising and ultimately... 
I live in Toronto’s West end with my wife Lindsay and two young daughters, Olivia and Abigail, where we run a successful Real Estate team (www.sellandrealestate.com). Over the years our family has had several close calls with cancer, which they were fortunate enough to beat, with the help of cutting-edge treatments.
I’ve seen first-hand how new developments and technologies can help individuals and families conquer cancer. Over the next six months, I will be enduring intensive training and preparation with my teammates, working hard to raise money to help make a difference in cancer research. 