Survivors
Caileigh Scott’s Story
Caileigh’s breast cancer diagnosis changed the trajectory of her life—but not in the ways people might expect.
In the middle of facing cancer, something became clear: she wanted to keep choosing art, movement, friendship, and the life she loved.
“You get one life,” she says. “Do what you love to do.”
A dancer, actor, writer, and former runway model, Caileigh says cancer reconnected her to creativity and pushed her to say yes to people and experiences she might have once hesitated over.
Read MoreBecky Read’s Story
Diagnosed at 39, Becky Read found ways to take back control. Her husband shaved her head before chemo could take her hair. After treatment, she threw herself a party called “Becky Got a New Rack,” complete with a band, red devil Jell-O shots, and a show-stopping T-Shirt: “Yeah, they’re fake. The real ones tried to kill me.”
Now, Becky is returning to the Runway stage not only as a survivor, but in honor of her mother and aunt, both of whom passed away from cancer after her own treatment ended.
“I just feel like I need to do this again,” she says.
Read MoreChristina Muratore’s Story
Christina Muratore’s Runway story has always been tied to her sister, Katie.
For years, Christina cheered from the audience as Katie danced across Runway stages. Then, after Christina’s own breast cancer diagnosis, Katie encouraged her to step into the light herself.
Now, Christina returns to the Runway stage in Katie’s memory — carrying her sister’s name, spirit, and legacy with her in every step.
Read MoreOlivia Terrell’s Story
Olivia Terrell calls herself a breast cancer warrior, not just a survivor.
“You have to go in and fight,” she says. “I think half of the battle is your mindset sometimes. If you go in defeated, then you’re not going to make it.”
This year, Olivia walks for herself, in memory of her sister, who passed away after her own breast cancer diagnosis, and for every woman who needs to know her family history, schedule the appointment, ask the question, and keep fighting.
Read MoreCrystal Davis’s Story
Crystal Davis has spent her life caring for others.
This year, Crystal returns to Runway as a survivor, advocate, board member, and recipient of the 2026 Ilene Beal Legacy of Leadership Award — continuing to dance, lead, and light up the stage for a community she believes in.
Now 18 years cancer free, Crystal’s story is one of survival, service, and celebration — a reminder that leadership can come from lived experience, and that support can change everything.
Read MoreCheryl Cuddy’s Story
Cheryl Cuddy is returning to the Runway stage with a milestone she never takes for granted: 20 years since her breast cancer diagnosis.
The last time Cheryl walked with Runway was in 2017, when she was celebrating 10 years as a breast cancer survivor. At the time, she wrote, “I am proud to be alive.” Now, another decade later, those words carry even more meaning.
“I want some of these young girls to know it’s okay,” she says. “You can push through.”
Read MoreAndrea Dean’s Story
As a hairstylist, Andrea has spent years helping other women through hair loss. She has shaved heads in bathrooms and private homes, witnessing just how emotional and traumatic that moment could be.
She never expected to go through hair loss herself.
“I still remember that I said, ‘But what about my hair?’”
“People will say, ‘It’s just hair,’ or ‘It’s just eyebrows,’” she says. “That is not it. It is not just hair. It is your identity.”
That understanding has shaped how she supports others now. She knows that preserving or rebuilding pieces of beauty can also help restore a sense of self.
Read MoreAlyssa Wakeley’s Story
Breast cancer changed the way Alyssa saw her body, her confidence, and her sense of femininity.
Diagnosed at 27 with stage III breast cancer, Alyssa went through chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, radiation, and reconstruction while raising two young children during the height of the pandemic.
She is honest about how hard it can be to look in the mirror after breast cancer, even after reconstruction.
“They may be perky, but you sometimes don’t feel like a woman,” she says. “It’s very hard mentally.”
Now, as she prepares to step onto the Runway stage, Alyssa wants other women to know that beauty is not something cancer gets to take away.
“No matter what changes have happened to your body, you are still a woman,” she says. “You’re still beautiful.”
Read MoreLori Coleman’s Story
Lori believes there is room for humor, even in cancer.
When preparing to support a 13-year-old family friend with aggressive Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma as she shaved her head, Lori considered bringing a cake that said, “Buzz off cancer.”
“Why can’t it be a party?” she says.
But underneath the humor is Lori’s deepest reason for pushing forward: her family.
“I promised my kids I would do anything I needed to do to be here for them,” she says.
Read MoreRebecca Muirhead’s Story
Rebecca Muirhead grew up knowing breast cancer was part of her family story.
Her grandmother was diagnosed around 48. Her mother was diagnosed at 40 and faced breast cancer twice. Because of that history, Rebecca began seeing breast doctors when she was just 18 and started mammograms at 30.
That early screening changed everything. After a mammogram found atypical ductal hyperplasia, an MRI revealed stage I invasive breast cancer.
“It really changed me,” Rebecca says. “I’m telling all my friends, just go and get it checked.”
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