Olympic Survivors

FYI
Ildiko Strehli's 10-year-old bobsled was sanded down and given a coat of red, and a pink ribbon, the universal symbol for breast cancer, was painted on each side. "I wanted cancer patients to see you can defeat the disease," says 35-year-old Strehli, a two-time cancer survivor and driver for the Sled Full of Hope, the first Hungarian women's bobsled team.

In 1995, she found a lump in her right breast. She had it removed and underwent chemotherapy. Four years later, Strehli felt another mass. This time, she opted for a bilateral mastectomy.

A month after surgery, the International Olympic Committee announced that women's bobsledding would be included in the Salt Lake Games. Strehli, from Dorog, Hungary, had dabbled in the sport in Park City, Utah, her current home.

"Part of the message of the Sled Full of Hope is for people affected by cancer, and part is to honor how far my team has come," she says. "It's been a long race already."