Aug. 13--Annette Kenealy has always had a passion for staying fit.
But when Kenealy's oncologist told her that exercise was effective in fighting cancer, she began riding her bike from Worsham Mill Road in Ruffin to Morehead Memorial Hospital in Eden for radiation treatments. At 50, she is in the best physical shape of her life.
"I felt terrible when I first started riding. I had just finished chemotherapy and my body was a mess," said Kenealy, a physical education teacher at Rockingham County Middle School. "Now, two months later, I feel maybe the best I've ever felt. I feel fit and strong."
Kenealy was diagnosed with breast cancer in late January. She had surgery in February and began chemotherapy treatments. She began riding in June, when she started the radiation. Her last treatment was Monday.
The 28-mile round trip to the hospital was tough--at first.
"Just starting off, two miles was difficult. The ride actually got a little too easy by the end. I wanted more of a challenge." She leaves at 6:30 a.m. and returns to her home on Worsham Mill Road by 9.
Kenealy estimates she has ridden 1,000 miles this summer.
She is having surgery this week to remove skin cancer on the bottom of her feet and won't be able to ride for at least two weeks. But she plans to make a fast recovery. Kenealy hopes her faith and can-do attitude will inspire other women battling cancer.
"You gotta take the first step and get out there and do something, because that's the hardest part," said Kenealy.
Tony Cook, a fellow physical education teacher, said Kenealy's attitude inspires the staff and students at Rockingham County Middle.
"Annette's so positive in everything she does. When she walks across the gym, she kind of bounces across the gym," said Cook. "She'll do exercises with the kids. Any type of activity they're doing, she's doing it with them."
He said Kenealy's enthusiasm for fitness spills over to other faculty members, many of whom are already athletic. A self-proclaimed "bicycling enthusiast," Cook rides every chance he gets.
"You can't beat it," he said. Greg Saunders, also a phys-ed teacher at the school, rides to work every day.
Kenealy also plans to ride to work once the school year begins. The trip would be about the same as her ride to Morehead--25 to 30 miles.
"Commuting to work is a lifestyle change, and a lot of folks can't make that change. That's what she has done; she's made that change," said Bill Davis, owner of Reidsville Bicycles. He said he has sold at least a half dozen Jamis commuter bikes, such as Kenealy's.
"I think it has a lot to do with the gas prices," Davis said. Kenealy estimates she has saved more than $300 this summer by riding her bike to the hospital.
Kenealy faces challenges on the rural roads surrounding her home, but the benefits have outweighed the dangers, including animals and cars. Her zeal for physical fitness runs in the family. Kenealy's father walked six miles a day until two weeks before his death.
"It was very important to him that we were physically active," she said. Her sister, Kathy Angier, was also recently diagnosed with breast cancer. She is a physical education teacher in Saluda and has always been athletic.
Kenealy's husband, David, did his student teaching in London, and a bike was his only mode of transportation. One of the Kenealy's sons, Dusty, has a track scholarship at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, where he will begin attending classes this fall. Kenealy wants to ride to Wilmington to visit her son during an upcoming break.
As she rides in the early morning she thinks of a Bible verse from Psalm 19: "The heavens declare the glory of God. The skies proclaim the work of His hands."
Her faith in God is what has given her the strength to fight cancer, and she wears a vest with the pink breast cancer ribbon and cross. The symbols stand for hope.
"I have the hope of healing through God's power, but if I'm not healed, I have hope of eternal salvation in Jesus."
Staff Writer Miranda Baines can be reached at or 349-4331, ext. 35. To see more of The Reidsville Review or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.reidsvillereview.com. Copyright (c) 2008, The Reidsville Review, N.C. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
Copyright (C) 2008 The Reidsville Review, N.C.