One-Breasted Cancer Survivor Inspires Hope by Participating in Body Competition
Ez Yap, a breast cancer survivor, will compete in the International Natural Bodybuilding & Fitness Federation (INBF) Battle of the Bay on October 12, 2019, in Fremont, California, to honor those lost to breast cancer, inspire survivors and raise awareness and funds for prevention, during Breast Cancer Awareness month.
FREMONT, Calif., October 1, 2019 (Newswire.com) - Ez Yap, 46, a mother, wife, yogi, and video producer, is living proof of how important additional screenings can be for breast cancer. In 2017, she was informed that she had dense breasts and was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer after an ABUS ultrasound discovered an abnormality in her right breast. Ez was shocked because she leads a healthy lifestyle, has always had clear mammograms, and has no history of breast cancer in her family. Forty percent of women age 40 and over have dense breasts. Though mammograms find some cancers not seen on other screening tests, in dense breasts, mammograms will miss more than 50% of the cancers present. (Source: DenseBreast-info.org). Ez intends to make more women aware of this by taking to the stage with her bedazzled breast cancer ribbon on the right side of her bikini top.
Ez has endured five surgeries, including a double mastectomy, two failed reconstruction surgeries and 33 radiation treatments in a span of two years. In June 2018, she went into remission and focused on training for a July 2019 bodybuilding competition to rebuild her body, to restore and renew her confidence, and most importantly, to revive her spirit. “I wanted to love and accept my body again, to be able to look in the mirror without self-pity or sadness.”
Although body and fitness competitions focus on muscularity, stage presence, and symmetry, Ez was determined to redefine what female strength and beauty look and feel like — with or without breasts. Her efforts paid off, she placed in the top three and the support she received was equally rewarding.
Ez will compete again on Oct. 12, 2019, to continue her advocacy. “I’m doing this for survivors who have felt less than whole and who have lost their identities,” says Ez. She is also an ambassador for the National Breast Cancer Foundation and continues to document her journey on social media to encourage all women to be vigilant advocates for their own health and their family’s health.
High-resolution photos and videos available upon request.
Contact information
Ez Yap
ezyap@mac.com
510 501-0962
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/living_ez/
National Breast Cancer Foundation: https://fundraise.nbcf.org/fundraiser/2343591
Source: Ez Yap