In 2009, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) celebrates its 25th anniversary. Since its inception a quarter century ago, NBCAM has been at the forefront of promoting awareness of breast cancer issues and has evolved along with the national dialogue on breast cancer. Today, NBCAM recognizes that although many great strides have been made in breast cancer awareness and treatment, there remains much to be accomplished. As NBCAM celebrates its 25th anniversary, they remain dedicated to educating and empowering women to take charge of their own breast health by practicing regular self-breast exams to identify any changes, scheduling regular visits and annual mammograms with their healthcare provider, adhering to prescribed treatment and knowing the facts about recurrence.

The third Friday in October each year is National Mammography Day, first proclaimed by President Clinton in 1993. On this day, or throughout the month, women are encouraged to make a mammography appointment. In 2009, National Mammography Day will be celebrated on October 16.

Vexler shares her story of surviving breast cancer

Breast cancer touches the lives of millions of Americans, and the gymnastics community is not immune to this disease. As part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, former gymnast Talya Vexler shares her story of dealing with breast cancer while she was a member of the University of Georgia women’s gymnastics team, which led to the first Pink Meet.

Talya Vexler was a standout gymnast at the University of Georgia from 1999-2002. She earned NCAA all-American honors three times and was a part of three SEC championship teams (1999, 2001, 2002), including one team National Championship. She was enjoying her senior college experience after completing her eligibility a year earlier when she discovered a pea-sized lump underneath her arm. After monitoring the lump for a month, Vexler's doctor told her, "Don't worry, you're 23. It's probably not cancer."

Vexler could take a wait-and-see approach or have the growth surgically removed. Though she had no family history of cancer and lived a healthy lifestyle as a three-time all-American gymnast, Vexler chose the operation.

Vexler immediately underwent an aggressive treatment that included a double mastectomy, reconstruction, and 16 weeks of chemotherapy. "It was like months of the worst flu you could ever have," she says. "I couldn't even be a part of my body; I almost needed to detach myself from the pain."

Vexler’s teammates and administrators at the University of Georgia were very supportive. In fact, the University of Georgia held the nation's first Pink Meet in Vexler’s honor in 2003, decorating the arena pink to spread breast cancer awareness and raise $100,000 for the Athens Regional Breast Health Center, where Vexler has a room dedicated in her honor. Georgia and Alabama took part in the inaugural "Pink Meet" in 2004.

Vexler with her brother Aaron

In light of Vexler's battle with breast cancer, the NCAA decided in 2003 to designate one home meet for each member institution with a women's gymnastics as a "Pink Meet" each year. Now in its sixth year, the meet is designed to raise awareness for breast cancer in young women by coloring the arenas pink. The gymnasts wear pink uniforms and the fans wear pink as well.

"I feel really honored to have inspired it," said Vexler. "If something good comes out of it, I'm more than happy to be a part of it."

And the pink meet concept has spread to many Junior Olympic gymnastics invitationals across the country as well.

Now seven years later, Vexler celebrates her victory over breast cancer. Her message is simple -- be proactive about your health, because that will save your life!

When asked how cancer has changed her life, Vexler said, “Besides the physical changes that cancer has left on my body (breast reconstruction), I’m really the same person I was before, perhaps I'm just a little ‘older and wiser.’

“I have always been concerned about my health but I’m much more aware of any changes in my body now. I eat well, exercise, and go to the doctor. If I hadn't gone to the doctor to check the lump in my breast, I would not be alive today! That is a pretty powerful realization when you think about it! It may be easier to go see a doctor when you are sick, or when you have symptoms, but when I found the lump I wasn't sick at all. The lump didn't hurt; I was just living the life of a normal college student.

“One thing I always tell people, especially when I was coaching girls in college, is: ‘Go to the doctor.’ I think that phrase is perhaps the essence of what ‘awareness’ means. We always talk about ‘breast cancer awareness’ and I feel like it is such a vague concept for many people. I think my main message is not to just be aware of changes in your body, but to actually do something about them. That is what saved my life.”

Vexler’s story shows the early detection can save your life. Vexler was recently engaged to be married and moved to Atlanta to be near her fiancé, Keith Nesbitt. She is the former assistant coach of the University of Iowa and still active in the sport of gymnastics, coaching at Marcus Jewish Community Center In Atlanta.