October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, when we proudly wear our pink ribbons to spread awareness of this annual campaign intended to inform and educate people about the importance of early screening, testing and survival. Breast cancer affects both men and women, but women are affected at a higher rate. About 1 in 8 U.S. women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of their lifetimes. For those who struggle through breast cancer, life goes on, and thankfully due to such awareness life CAN go on!
Kay Yow
Preventive Measures 101 honors empowered women in leadership, and this month, we honor Coach Kay Yow, because not only was she a coach, a leader, and mentor, but because she was also a breast cancer survivor.
“As head coach of the North Carolina State University women’s basketball team and past president and founding member of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), her voice became a galvanizing force within the sport of women’s basketball...In her 38 years as a college head coach, Coach Yow was one of only six Division I women’s basketball head coaches to achieve 700 career victories. She guided her squads to 20 of 27 NCAA Tournaments, 11 trips to the Sweet 16, and a trip to the Elite Eight and the Final Four in 1998. Yow was part of an elite group of nine Olympic coaches chosen to lead USA Basketball in the pursuit of Olympic gold. Additionally, Yow became only the third women’s basketball coach in NCAA Division I history to coach 1,000 games with one program.” - Kay Yow Cancer Fund
Even through her constant battles with breast cancer, Coach Yow has always worked to empower women.
“Kay Yow served as a galvanizing force to empower women in the world of sports. Her courage, perseverance and leadership proved instrumental in the fight for equality. Yow, a true pioneer, was a founding member and past president of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), a 1988 Olympic Gold Medalist, and just the fifth female coach inducted into the James Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.” - Columbia Athletics