SHERRY STRONG

Most of you know that I am a huge sports fan which includes NASCAR. Years ago Lou commented that the song, "She Don't Love Me More Than NASCAR", was perfect for me! Nah, I love him a little more. For twenty plus years my favorite driver was Jeff Gordon. Jeff retired a couple years ago so I switched my allegiance to Carl Edwards. I liked Tony Stewart, too. At the end of that year, both Tony & Carl retired. What the hell?

I had a hard time getting into NASCAR early this year. All of my favorite drivers were gone. The new rules like stage racing & time limits on repairs seemed contrived & unnecessary. I had always liked Martin Truex, Jr., who drove for one of the lesser teams that didn't stand much chance of winning consistently. But I went ahead & settled on Martin as my current favorite. He is a really good guy, a great driver & seemed to be an upstanding citizen which is more than I can say for many of the current leading drivers. There are a bunch of really young drivers who could all be my grandsons but none grabbed my fancy as a new fave.

As I learned more about Martin Truex, Jr. these past couple of years, I discovered his long time girlfriend, Sherry Pollex, & her incredible story. Three years ago, at age 35, Sherry was diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer. Her prognosis was grim. She underwent hours of extensive surgery followed by 17 months of exhausting chemotherapy. Here is an excerpt from her website - SherryStrong.org

"But as family and friends know, Pollex has a stubborn streak and doesn’t take kindly to being told she can’t do something. With Truex Jr. and family by her side, she fought for her life, and chose a doctor who would fight alongside her. Within days, she underwent a radical hysterectomy and debulking surgery expected to last four hours that instead lasted seven grueling hours as her surgeon painstakingly removed every trace of cancer he could see with the human eye.

"During the 17 months of treatment that followed, supporters cheered her on by using #SherryStrong via social media. Each message reminded her to fight and inspired a new reason to live."

I have watched Sherry, a truly beautiful woman inside & out, these past couple of years at NASCAR races. She has been there to support Martin with her two inch blonde hair & brilliant smile every step of the way. In 2017 Martin has had a storybook year in NASCAR winning seven races (a series high) & is the front runner to win the overall championship in a few weeks.

Sherry knew that her chances weren't good but she refuses to "live by the numbers".  The rate of recurrence for ovarian cancer is 85% in the first three years. Sherry made it one year & four months before the cancer returned this past September. At home recovering from surgery when Martin won race number six, Sherry tweeted her congratulations with a photo. When talking about Sherry in the post race interview, Martin became emotional & teary at the strength & support he receives from her.

Once again following surgery, Sherry is undergoing chemo but she was present for Martin's seventh win two weeks ago. The smile of this gorgeous, courageous woman is infectious. Her bravery is inspirational. Sherry & Martin have a foundation to educate & promote cancer research. I urge you all to take a look at her website: SherryStrong.org.

My love of NASCAR has been revitalized due to Martin & Sherry. Yes, I'm cheering big time for Martin Truex, Jr. to win the NASCAR championship this year. But I'm rooting even harder for Sherry Pollex to win her fight against ovarian cancer & be there at Martin's side for years & years to come. They are an amazing, heartwarming couple who are doing great things in the fight again this horrible disease.

This is exactly why I love sports! There is so much more to sporting events than the final score or number of wins. The stories behind the competitors & their families make them the real winners - not of the race, the game or the event, but of life!

If you want to read more, here is Martin's story: https://www.theplayerstribune.com/martin-truex-jr-nascar-cancer/