 Joe Westerberg, left, and his brother Rich congratulate each other on their completion of the North Shore In-line Marathon. Westerberg beat cancer last year at the age of 31. He was having episodes of breathing difficulty and suspected pneumonia, so he reluctantly visited his physician. On Nov. 9, 2000, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer, which runs its course from the abdomen to the lungs and finally to the brain. Since the cancer had already spread to his lungs his prognosis was "poor." He found encouragement from many people. "My faith got me through," he said, "and the support from the St. Scholastica community. It was tremendous." He received messages from professors Dan Johnson, Tom Zelman, and Dennis Anderson. He also heard from Sisters Timothy Kirby and Mary Jean Tuttle, who wrote to tell him that the Sisters had him in their prayers. "I also got amazing support from some very important alumni - friend Eric Berg, and my brother Rich, class of '86, and my sister Ann, class of '87." Not to mention the most important St. Scholastica alum in his life, his wife Barrie (Weber)'94. Westerberg isn't an athletic person, but he found inspiration and a connection in champion bicyclist Lance Armstrong, who was also fighting testicular cancer. When Armstrong won the Tour de France he dedicated the victory to cancer survivors. Westerberg received four copies of Armstrong's book, "It's Not About the Bike," within days of being diagnosed with cancer. While in a chemotherapy treatment room, Westerberg heard about the Duluth in-line skate marathon. He decided to make the race his own personal Tour de France. At the time he didn't even own a pair of in-line skates, but he made it his goal to register for the marathon and complete at least half. The most strenuous race he'd ever participated in up to that time was the St. Scholastica Reif Run, an effort that deeply concerned his wife. Westerberg and his brother Rich registered for the marathon. Westerberg was the subject of a Duluth News Tribune article and was amazed at the number of strangers cheering him on. "Throughout the entire length of the course I heard, 'Go Joe!'," he recalled. As a tribute to his hero, he wore a Lance Armstrong jersey. Both brothers finished the entire race. Now that he's cancer-free, Westerberg is spending time with his family, educating others about cancer, volunteering with the American Cancer Society, and working as a clerk with the U.S. Postal Service, which interestingly enough, is the sponsor of Lance Armstrong. His advice for life: "Enjoy life to the fullest. Don't wait to do great things. Don't put off anything. And don't be stubborn - go to the doctor, because I almost didn't." |
