J42 — October 2009 — Team Winter

Intro: Many men diagnosed with prostate cancer win the battle and are cured. Unfortunately some do not. The little girl you're about to meet lost her dad to prostate cancer. And she turned an event that was extremely tragic into something hopeful. At age 10 she participates in triathlons to raise money for prostate cancer research.

[NATURAL SOUND] WINTER VINECKI IS RUNNING IN HONOR OF A MAN SHE LOVES. HER FATHER, MICHAEL, WHO AT THE AGE OF FORTY, DIED FROM AN AGGRESSIVE FORM OF CANCER.

"OUR DAD HAD PROSTATE CANCER."

"HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A VERY RARE AND AGGRESSIVE FORM OF PROSTATE CANCER KNOWN AS SARCOMATOID PROSTATE CANCER."

[SOUND OF STARTING HORN] DR. JEFFREY KARNES SAYS INSTEAD OF RETREATING FROM THIS TRAGIC NEWS, WINTER AND HER MOM DAWN FACED IT HEAD ON. BEFORE MICHAEL DIED THEY ORGANIZED TEAM WINTER. THEY COMPETE IN TRIATHLONS TO RAISE AWARENESS AND MONEY FOR PROSTATE CANCER RESEARCH.

"WINTER IS AN EXCEPTIONAL YOUNG LADY. WHEN SHE PUTS HER MIND TO IT, NOTHING CAN STOP HER."

AT AGE 10 SHE'S SWIMMING, BIKING AND RUNNING TO INSPIRE PEOPLE TO SUPPORT THE CAUSE.

"SHE HAD A PHENOMENAL SWIM, SHE HUNG TIGHT ON THE BIKE AND SHE JUST BURNED UP SOME ASPHALT ON THE RUN."

AND WHAT KEEPS WINTER GOING DURING THE GRUELING MILES OF A TRIATHLON, ARE THE MEMORIES OF HER DAD. WHO SPOKE THESE WORDS ABOUT WINTER BEFORE HE DIED.

"I'M ABSOLUTELY PROUD OF WHAT WINTER'S DOING FOR MYSELF AND FOR EVERYBODY WITH PROSTATE CANCER."

TEAM WINTER. CROSSING THE FINISH LINE FOR HER FATHER AND FOR LIFE. FOR MEDICAL EDGE, I'M VIVIEN WILLIAMS.

Anchor tag: You can learn more about Team Winter at www.teamwinter.org.

STATIONS: Per the licensing agreement, please provide a link from your station's Web site to www.mayoclinic.org/medical-edge or voice tag "mayoclinic.org/medical-edge" for more information.