Lincoln woman raising funds for cancer center by biking to Nashville

LINCOLN — A Lincoln woman who has battled breast cancer will hit the road Tuesday to bike and walk more than 500 miles to raise funds for the Ellis Fischel Cancer Center in Columbia.

Freda Swigert, 41, will leave from Marshall Junction at 2 p.m. and plans to arrive in Nashville, Tenn., before Memorial Day.

“If I get $1,000 that would make me happy,” Swigert said.

Swigert was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer about five years ago and endured six months of chemotherapy treatments. The breast cancer is gone, but her family continues to be touched by the disease.

Swigert’s father and two aunts died of cancer and Swigert knows how important treatment and research are for saving lives.

“It’s very important to me because I’m the type of person who just wants to help people,” Swigert said.

Although Swigert’s breast cancer is gone, she now has problems with her pancreas, a blood clot in her leg and diabetic neuropathy, a complication of diabetes where nerves are damaged.

“It burns your feet from the inside out,” Swigert said of the pain associated with her neuropathy. “But I just don’t let things stop me.”

Swigert has been walking and biking for more than a year to prepare for the trip. She said on a good day, she can bike 50 miles and walk about 28 miles.

Last year, Swigert did a similar, shorter ride to raise funds for cancer treatment and raised $154.

“I’m hoping to raise more this time,” Swigert said.

Once she arrives in Nashville, Swigert is going straight to a place she has always wanted to visit, the Grand Ole Opry.

“It’s kind of a reward for myself,” Swigert said.

Swigert said the hospital staff at the cancer center encouraged her to keep going during her stay there and this is a way to encourage others in similar situations.

“I just want to help people,” she said.

She is already planning another ride to Corpus Christi, Texas, in July to raise more money.

Donations to Swigert’s ride can be made by sending a check to Ellis Fischel-Swigert Ride c/o Laura Gajda, One Hospital Drive, Columbia, MO 65212.

People who see Swigert bicycling also can stop and make a donation to her to give to the center.