Winning a national cycling championship is a challenge many may only dream about, but when Cindi Hart won her championship over Labor Day weekend she was facing an ever greater challenge – breast cancer.

Cindi, 42, an avid cyclist and speed skater, continued to compete–successfully–while undergoing chemotherapy. Eighteen days after her final chemotherapy infusion she won the American Bicycling Racing National Track Cycling Championships; eight days after that she underwent surgery for a bilateral mastectomy.

Within two days of surgery with surgical drains still in place, she was back on the bike.

"Fortitude" is a word that Cindi’s doctors have no trouble applying to her.

"Cindi Hart is to breast cancer what Lance Armstrong is to testicular cancer," said Dr. Robert Goulet Jr. associate professor of surgery and medical director of the IU Breast Care and Research Center. "She came to us prepared to do battle with her newly diagnosed breast cancer, made informed decisions regarding her therapy and then made it very clear that breast cancer was not going to interfere with her passion for world-class competitive cycling. She started her treatment with chemotherapy and throughout that time continued a grueling training schedule in preparation for the World Cycling Championship."

The Labor Day weekend victory wasn’t her only one during chemotherapy treatment. Two days after she started the treatment, she won the Indiana State Championships Track Cycling Championships at the Major Taylor Velodrome in Indianapolis.

Three days after her third chemotherapy session, she road as captain of the Savage Hill Women’s Cycling Team, which won a 17-mile team time trail in Ohio. Cindi’s national championship, won in Kenosha, Wis., involved competing in five races – 200 and 500 meter, 2 kilometer, a match sprint and a points race. Cindi has several individual and team triumphs in cycling and speed skating to her credit but this victory is special and it isn’t one she is savoring alone.

"I never realized before my breast cancer how important the support from family and friends can be," she said. "You realize how much they believe in you and that makes you want to succeed all the more."

Cindi credits self-examination with early detection and her positive outcome. In April, she found a lump. The results of a mammogram and ultrasound were inconclusive but a fine needle biopsy in May confirmed the bad news, it was cancer.

Her next stop was the Indiana University Cancer Center where she became the patient of Kathy Miller, M.D., associate professor of medicine and a breast cancer specialist. Cindi began chemotherapy Memorial Day week and ended her regimen on Aug. 19.

"Cindi's goal was to continue her training and participate in the National Championships," said Dr. Miller. "We were able to design a treatment plan that would have as little impact on her athletic ability as possible. I thought she might be able to participate but I am thrilled that she was able to go the extra mile and win."

"IU Cancer Center was expeditious in seeing me," Cindi said. "I equate that to my racing: in a time trial – the faster the better. Time is everything. The same can be said about breast cancer; the faster you get into treatment, the better."

On Sept. 14 she underwent surgery and was released from the IU Hospital the next day.

"My surgeon actually thanked me for making his job easier," she chuckled. "Apparently being physically fit made the surgery easier."

"I am humbled by Cindi’s composure, courage and fortitude," said Dr. Goulet. "Although Cindi’s story is exceptional in what she was able to accomplish, we care for women on a daily basis who display the same courage and determination for victory over breast cancer."

Cindi has been a competitive cyclist for 20 years. She obtained her nursing degree from Miami (Ohio) University and then was a resident athlete for four years at Northern Michigan University while she worked toward a degree in exercise physiology. She lived in a special dorm with the Olympic short track speed skating team during this time.

In addition to cycling, she competes in long track and short track speed skating events and coaches IndySpeed, a local group of all ages of competitors. In January 2004, shortly before her breast cancer diagnosis, she won a silver medal in the U.S. Speed Skating National Championship Ice Long Track even in Milwaukee, Wis.

In addition to her busy training, competition and coaching schedule, Cindi is a registered nurse and clinical informatics specialist at Regenstrief Institute Inc., which is associated with the IU School of Medicine. She is the mother of a 10-year-old daughter Madison, who also is an active athlete, as is her husband Ken, who is a champion cyclist.

In conversation, it becomes apparently quickly that Cindi has a special place in her heart for another one of her activities, coaching the state and national Special Olympics speed skaters. In fact, that is one of the things that she says kept her focused during her treatments.

"I have three goals for next year," she explained. "but first is recovery and training to make up for the summer I lost during my treatments."

Her other goals are victories for Team USA at the 2005 Special Olympics World Games speed skating events in Nagano, Japan; and gold medals for herself in the U.S. Speed Skating Nationals in Salt Lake City in January, and the August 2005 Master’s Track Nationals in Indianapolis.

"I can’t stress strongly enough how important breast self-examination is," said Cindi. "If I had not been aware of my breast health on a monthly basis, I would not have had such a positive outcome."

Dealing with breast cancer has not been an entirely negative experience and it certainly has opened her eyes to her blessings, Cindi says.

"I have heard many people say that the cancer made them stronger. Cancer

doesn't do that, it's the people and faith that make you stronger: faith in your doctors, faith in the cure, and the faith friends and family place in you and God that really makes you stronger," she said.

"When you realize this, you don't want to give the power to the cancer. You take it."