GILLIAN LICHOTA

iRISE ABOVE BREAST CANCER FOUNDER & CEO. MARINE BIOLOGIST. ADVENTURER. CLIMBER. MOTHER.

MEET OUR FOUNDER: GILLIAN LICHOTA

Adventure-seeker, sports-lover, and successful marine biologist, Gillian was thrilled to learn that she was pregnant in 2012 after years of trying to conceive. But she was shocked when she was told, just hours later, that the mass that she had discovered in her breast a few days before was malignant. She had stage III breast cancer. Gillian and her husband, Boe, were stunned, but eager to do everything they could to heal Gillian and protect their baby.

Treatment and surgery during her pregnancy were emotionally devastating and physically grueling, but they were ultimately successful. Determined to celebrate her return to health and to get back to her active life, Gillian stunned her medical team by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro a few months later.

Then, almost five years to the day of her first diagnosis, and shortly after giving birth to her second child, Gillian learned the cancer had returned and metastasized. Gillian was plunged into deep grief. But she emerged weeks later determined to seize control of her health, turning to a combination of traditional and alternative treatments. Her integrative approach has been a success: Four years later, her cancer is now stable and her antigen numbers are the lowest they have ever been.

Driven by a passion to empower, inspire, and support other young women diagnosed with breast cancer, and by the knowledge gained through her own experiences, Gillian founded the iRise Above Foundation. Through programs like the iJourney and the iRise and Shine Wellness Training Program, as well as trips and retreats, young women learn mind-body-spirit strategies that challenge the old paradigms and change perceptions of treating and healing from breast cancer. Gillian hopes to empower young women with breast cancer to self-advocate, and to use their experiences to live their most fulfilling and authentic lives, as she herself has done.

Gillian, now 44, lives in the Washington, D.C area with her husband, Boe, and children.

WHAT IS THE SECRET TO MAINTAINING A POSITIVE OUTLOOK?

One of my favorite quotes is by Norman Vincent Peale: “Change your thoughts and you can change your world.” Maintaining a positive outlook is a choice. Sometimes negative thoughts and destructive emotions take hold of our lives and prevent us from keeping a positive outlook. The key to overcoming this is to develop opposing, positive emotions that are stronger and more powerful. As we have discussed in our iRise & Shine Wellness Training Program, this is achieved by cultivating a growth mindset, seeing the possibilities, and making a conscious decision to notice the beauty, benefits, and blessings in our lives. To add, it's incredibly important to cultivate positive feelings by remaining optimistic. Equally important is focusing on our character strengths (our super powers) and using those to create SMART challenging goals. When we do these things, we set the foundation for discovering our passion and purpose, and are better equipped to connect more deeply with the world around us.

WHAT IS THE MOST DIFFICULT DECISION YOU’VE HAD TO MAKE TO PURSUE YOUR DESTINY?

The most difficult decision I have had to make to pursue my destiny is to trust myself, the moment I am in, and my intuition. I'm a firm believer that we can get lost in our heads with conscious reasoning, but our heart - the source of wisdom, higher intelligence, and intuition - never lies. If you feel it in your heart, you're probably in the right place!

WHAT IS THE BEST LIFE LESSON THAT TOOK YOU THE LONGEST TO LEARN?

To quote Oprah Winfrey, “I believe the most valuable gift I can give myself is time to be more fully present and connected to the world around me.” Giving myself permission to take that time has been the most valuable life lesson that took me the longest to truly learn.

BREAST CANCER RELATED

WHAT IS THE MOST POSITIVE THING TO COME OUT OF YOUR BREAST CANCER JOURNEY?

The most positive thing to come out of my breast cancer journey is learning how to transform my suffering into something greater. After I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, I looked everywhere for answers to try and understand why this had happened to me, but no one could give me a plausible answer, and no one could seem to relate or understand my incredible pain. However, Buddhist teachings on suffering, or more specifically transforming suffering, were literally and figuratively a lifesaver for me. With intention, I have been able to transform my suffering so I can heal, grow, and progress up the spiritual path of enlightenment, to honor my passion and purpose. Since doing this, I have a clearer perspective on what matters in my life. I am the happiest -- most content -- I have ever been. I have become a more compassionate and understanding person. I am more present -- more mindful and aware -- which allows me the opportunity to deeply connect with the world around me. I make time to honor myself -- without judgement -- and make it a priority to live more fully and love more deeply.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOURSELF WHEN YOU WERE FIRST DIAGNOSED?

"Gillian, take a deep breath (or two) and know that your personal breast cancer journey is unique to you and no one else. Ignore the noise that will send you down dark rabbit holes and waste your precious time and steal your power -- and life energy. You are powerful. You are not a victim. You are not defined by breast cancer. Find comfort in knowing that you are the author and creator of your own story. You CAN transform your suffering and discover true happiness and thrive. You CAN heal, thrive, and discover your true authentic self moving forward, despite breast cancer. Live a great story. Transcend. Enjoy this beautiful life that has been blessed upon you. Follow your heart and never look back!"

BIG PICTURE

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE?

Lotus flowers are beautiful; they grow in mud and thrive in it. The mud is necessary so the lotus can grow and flower. Through this we can learn a lot about the purpose of the human experience.

Thich Nhat Hanh’s "No Mud, No Lotus" is a book that illuminated so many things for me about my own personal suffering (the mud) around my metastatic breast cancer diagnosis. According to Buddhism, suffering is one of the Noble Truths of our human existence. Suffering is an inevitable part of our lives. However, without suffering we cannot transcend to know happiness, our passion or purpose - the lotus flower. The key lies in transforming suffering so we can realize happiness and help ourselves heal, grow, and progress up the spiritual path.

I have come to realize that when suffering and pain happens, it's important to acknowledge it while I am in the moment. In our society, we feel like we need to immediately put a Bandaid over our wounds. We need to get over it immediately. However, during times of pain and suffering we are given a unique opportunity to be present in the moment with our raw emotions, and learn something about compassion and understanding. In these times, we need to remember to be gentle and take care of ourselves. We shouldn't judge ourselves or be our own harshest critics for feeling hurt or not “getting over” it quick enough. We need to simply be an observer of our emotions and acknowledge them, whether good or bad. We need to nurture ourselves and give ourselves room to feel what we are feeling. It’s all part of the healing process. I believe scars are where the light shines through - if we always cover them with bandaids, there will be darkness and we will never see the light and all the beautiful colors.