Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Richards
Hi Karen, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In February 2002, when I was 41, I found a lump in my right breast. Nine days later, on Valentines Day, I was diagnosed: three tumors (2 on the left, 1 on the right), two kinds of cancer, three different grades, all Stage one, but one borderline Stage 2. I was convinced that I was riddled with cancer and had just been dealt a death sentence. It was the most terrifying day of my life.
Following a bilateral mastectomy, reconstruction, and chemo that year, and divorce the following year, I started dating a guy who rode a motorcycle. While not a new experience, it felt very different to me after living through cancer and starting a new chapter in my life. Now it was all about freedom, and it was exhilarating! It had never occurred to me to ride my own however, until June of 2004 when I received an email from Y-Me announcing “The Adventure of a Lifetime”. It told of a new support organization, Amazon Heart, that was organizing an inaugural event called Changing Gears. They would select 20 young breast cancer survivors to ride Harleys up the California coast later that year to spread awareness of the special needs of young survivors. AND they were saving a number of spots for survivors who wanted to learn how to ride and providing them lessons (also provided by Harley Davidson).
Long story short, I was selected, lessons were taken, the adventure of a lifetime experienced (a mere 6 weeks later!), lifetime bonds of friendship and sisterhood formed, and a life-long passion born. Since I was now a true ‘biker chick’, I decided I needed a tattoo – my first – it was a replica of the Changing Gears logo – an Amazon warrior princess astride a Harley, with the Chinese characters symbolizing the words “to overcome” tattooed below. The following year the event moved to Australia, and in the following several years, made 2 trips to New Zealand to ride motorcycles with friends I had made on that Australian trip. In 2012 I was invited to participate in another awareness raising motorcycle event sponsored by Revlon – this time in South Africa. At home, I began taking solo trips – first a weekend, then a week, and then 3 weeks – my longest ever – from Chicago to LA and a big loop back up through California, into Oregon, and across Idaho and back home through Denver – a total of 7000 miles.
During this time, I became a member of the Motorcycle Safety Crews for both the Avon Walks for Breast Cancer, and the Susan G. Komen walks. Like my experience with Changing Gears, what made my participation in these events so meaningful was my ability to be a symbol of independence, strength, freedom, courage and hope to other survivors and their loved ones. Demonstrating by example, how one can live life beyond cancer powerfully, passionately, and on one’s own terms.
In the intervening years, my passion for motorcycling and cancer awareness continued to grow, and I became more and more convinced that I was meant to do ‘something’ with my life that continued to support other breast cancer survivors.
In 2013 I relocated from my hometown of Chicago to Denver, and almost immediately found my motorcycle people – many of whom were also, coincidentally former Avon Moto Crew members. Around the same time, I heard of an organization called Personal Ink (P.ink), who were raising awareness about the option of decorative tattooing over mastectomy scars, as opposed to the traditional areola tattoos that plastic surgeons were doing. When I heard about this, I experienced the same thrill I felt when I saw myself and fellow breast cancer survivors riding Harley’s in perfect formation up the California coast. It felt empowering and badass, and I realized the potential healing such tattooing could provide for so many women like me! I knew I needed to get involved and eventually found the P.ink founder, Noel Franus. We started meeting regularly to talk about evolving and growing the organization. At the same time, I had somehow gotten my name on a list to receive a mastectomy tattoo, and in September of 2014 was contacted to say that I was chosen for their P.ink Day in Boulder – along with 3 other women – to have my scars tattooed.
It was incredible – transformation – and I was hooked! I began hosting the Boulder event and found a shop in Denver as well and began running both events. Hosting these events, and facilitating these transformative tattoos for women – so many of whom were so ashamed and embarrassed by how disfigured they felt that they were never even able to take their tops off with their partners – immediately became even more of a passion than motorcycling.
Then in 2018, Noel stepped aside and asked that I step up to lead the organization. At the same time, he was searching for a larger non-profit who would potentially take over to provide much needed support to our all-volunteer group. Enter Letsfcancer – or FCancer (www.letsfcancer.com). They kindly stepped in and took us in as one of their many programs in early 2019, and I stayed on as Director of the Personal Ink program.
Over the years that I’ve been involved, we’ve refined our application process, hosted P.ink Day events in 150 tattoo shops across the country, facilitating over 550 mastectomy tattoos (including what is planned for this year). I love how we change not just the bodies of my fellow women who have had mastectomies, but we change hearts and minds as well. It restores the confidence and beauty that we lost. We feel beautiful again. We’ve reclaimed what cancer took from us. We made sure breast cancer did not leave the last mark. Because, make no mistake. A mastectomy is an amputation. A surgical removal of a piece of us that is deeply entwined with our sense of femininity and sexuality.
Even with the best reconstruction, we are left with ugly scars and permanent prostheses that never feel like a part of us, no matter how ‘real’ it looks. Not to mention those scars are a daily reminder of a time in our lives that most of us would prefer to leave behind.
Having the choice to reframe that trauma and redefine our femininity by putting this beautiful permanent artwork on our bodies, is empowering beyond measure. It makes us feel brave and bold and turns what was cold and clinical into something beautiful, sensual and deeply personal.
So now, 22 years after my breast cancer diagnosis, I look back and have nothing but the deepest gratitude for the opportunities that cancer brought to my door. I would never have gotten involved in motorcycling, nor tattoos, and I would probably still be in that marriage. Instead, I learned how to live. And by that I do not mean just survive day to day, but to live life to the fullest. To continue to manifest opportunities by being open to possibilities, to continue to give back to my community. I love the life I’ve co-created with my higher power and am so very grateful for every single day I’m given.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There have been many challenges along this road. I’ve lost way too many of my friends to breast cancer. So many of my fellow bikers from that first ride in 2004. There are now more of us gone than are left. My sister was diagnosed 8 years after me, and my mother 3 years after that. Every time I lose someone, or hear of a new diagnosis is a reminders that no matter how many years pass cancer-free, it can still come back and take the ones I love. It can still come back and take me.
Some days, it is hard not to be afraid. Some days, it is hard not to lose hope. Some days, it is hard not to feel guilty that I am still here while others are gone. On one of those particularly dark days, a wise old friend of mine said to me – ‘maybe you are still here so that you can be here for all of the others that need you.’ I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I did find comfort in the thought at the time, and it meant much more later as I found different passions.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I have a day job in technology that I love – I feel valued and supported and have been there for 18 years and plan to stay through til I retire.
But to me, that is a job, while Personal Ink is a passion. I’m proud of what I’ve helped build. I’m so proud of all of the amazing volunteers and artists that make it all happen, I’m proud that I’ve stayed true to our mission and haven’t been swayed to veer into other areas that I feel would dilute the importance of what we do. I think that having the unique perspective and experiences that I’ve had have made me uniquely suited to lead this organization.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Well – COVID slowed me down for sure – like many others. We didn’t have our P.ink Day events that year, so we turned our attention to shining a light on our amazing artist network – gathering stories from past recipients about their special connections with their artists, and stories from our artists about how this experience changed them too.
As a side note, I became a co-founder of an all foster based feline rescue in the summer of 2020 with 2 other women. I was only able to be deeply involved for the first year, but continue to stay in touch and foster regularly for them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.p-ink.org
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/personal.ink
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/PersonalInk
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PersonalInkProject
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/klrich
Image Credits
Heidi Wagner, https://www.heidiwagnerphotography.com/,
