Model Profiles
Meet the Models: Renee Plodzik 2025
Model Spotlight: Renee Plodzik Runway Show: New England | Diagnosed: Stage 0 at 34, Metastatic at 42 Renee Plodzik is a woman who redefines strength—not because she’s never broken, but…
Read MoreMeet the Models: Karen Walsh 2025
Karen Walsh’s journey with breast cancer began in 2015 with what felt like a surreal, cinematic moment. At 40 years old, she stepped into a darkened bathroom for a moment of peace while her two young sons were glued to a movie. A sliver of light revealed a pucker on her breast, and what followed would change her life. A self-check confirmed a lump—Stage 3A invasive ductal carcinoma.
Read MoreMeet the Models: Barbara Bigelow 2025
Barbara Bigelow has spent over two decades navigating breast cancer. Her journey is one of grit, advocacy, heartbreak, hope—and survival against the odds. She’s not just a patient; she’s a force.
Read MoreMeet the Models: Joshua Smith
This fall, Joshua Smith returns to the Runway for Recovery stage not with his wife, Katie, but for her. Katie passed away in December 2024 after living courageously with metastatic breast cancer for three years. While she is no longer physically with us, her spirit radiates through her family, her former students, and the greater community she inspired—especially the Runway family, where she once danced with joy, defiance, and hope.
Read MoreSpotlight Model Boston: Christine Handy
“Lending courage until others find their own.”
Christine Handy is no stranger to the runway. A professional model since childhood, she’s graced the catwalks of major fashion houses, represented global brands, and stood confidently under the glare of countless lights. But this fall, when Christine takes the stage at the Boston Runway show, it won’t just be as a model. It will be as a beacon—of survival, of transformation, and of grace.
Read MoreMeet the Models: Christina Clements
For those who’ve been a part of Runway for Recovery over the years, Christina is a familiar face—and a powerful presence. A seasoned model and a resilient advocate, she returns to the stage this year not only to represent her own story, but to stand alongside others navigating the ever-evolving path of survivorship.
Read MoreMeet the Models: Andrew Earle
This fall, Andrew Earle walks the Runway in honor of his late wife, Hannah, whose journey through breast cancer was one of profound courage, intentionality, and love. Her story is woven deeply into the Runway for Recovery community—one she believed in wholeheartedly. Today, Andrew continues that connection, honoring her legacy, and walking to inspire others navigating the unbearable weight of loss.
Read MoreMeet the Models: Jennifer Lawrence
Model Spotlight: Jennifer Lawrence Jennifer Lawrence’s story is a testament to the strength of love, family, and community in the face of overwhelming adversity. Diagnosed with breast cancer not once,…
Read MoreMeet the Models: Emily Lewis
Emily isn’t walking the runway because she had breast cancer. She’s walking it because she made a powerful, preventative decision after learning she was at high genetic risk. As a BRCA1 previvor, Emily carries the weight of a future that never happened—because she bravely chose to change her present.
Read MoreMeet the Models: Angelina Hawley-Dolan
Angelina is a mother, a wife, a teacher, a daughter, a friend—and now, a survivor. Her story begins not with a diagnosis, but in the quiet rhythm of everyday life: nursing her youngest child, juggling motherhood and her role as director of a Montessori school, and living fully at just 32 years old. Cancer wasn’t on her radar.
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