PORTLAND, Ore. — The mother of all relays, known as the Hood to Coast, is happening this weekend. It's a nearly 200-mile stretch from Mount Hood to the Oregon coast — where many teams of eight to 12 people run to raise money for a cause.
This is something Max Haensel has been participating in, alongside family and friends, since 2012.
“Our teams have gotten increasingly competitive as we've added a number of my college track teammates," said Haensel.
And this year, like years prior, he's raising money for an important cause.
"Two of my grandparents died from cancer and so I started doing it in high school because the American Cancer Society was an important cause then,” said Haensel. “Fast forward a decade later, obviously it's taken an even new level of importance."
In early February of 2021, he was diagnosed with Stage 3C testicular cancer at age 24 that spread to his lymph nodes, lungs and later to his brain. After undergoing extensive treatment, including chemotherapy, surgeries and brain radiation — Haensel is now in remission and preparing to participate in his ninth Hood To Coast relay this weekend.
"You don't ever want to think that something's wrong with you, so I put off scheduling an appointment," said Haensel.
According to researchers at the American Cancer Society, a new large study found Gen X and Millennials in the United States have a higher risk of developing 17 of the 34 cancer types compared to older generations — including breast, pancreatic and gastric cancers.
"It's not something that until it happened to me was on my radar," said Haensel. "And my biggest lesson learned is if something feels wrong, go get it checked out."
He tells KGW, he recalls having lower back pain, alongside other pain elsewhere, that he put off during the first year of the pandemic. Blaming it on poor posture when lifting weights, but little did he know it was the cancer spreading.
"But since then, I've been good,” he said. “And I'm very, very blessed just given the case data and the chances that I was looking at for a lot of 2021 and even last year."
Max hopes by sharing his story he can encourage others to listen to their body and see a doctor sooner rather than later — to ensure everything's in line.
"I truly had so many angels take care of me over the course of that process,” said Haensel with tears in his eyes. “And it's not something you do alone. So, that's why it's such an important cause to me because if it's not you, but it's one in two males and one in three females, then it's going to be somebody you love or care about."
