By Karen Swift
My story begins in Sandwich, Massachusetts, where I grew up watching my mother, Nancy Swift, courageously battle breast cancer.
I was just 15 years old when she was diagnosed. Spending my high school years watching my mother fight for her life was not how I imagined my teenage years would unfold.
My mother faced her diagnosis with remarkable strength, determination, and grace. Despite her courageous fight, she passed away from the disease at the age of 46 when I was 20 years old in 1998. Losing her was devastating and witnessing someone you love endure the physical and emotional toll of breast cancer is something no family should ever have to experience.
During her battle, my mother became actively involved with Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition (MBCC), an organization that became very important to her. Her passion for MBCC was not just about her own experience with breast cancer—it was about protecting future generations, including my sister Laura, me, and our children and grandchildren.
MBCC’s mission is unique. The organization is dedicated to preventing breast cancer by addressing environmental causes through education, research advocacy, and public policy change.
Unlike many organizations that focus primarily on treatment and cure, MBCC believes that the most effective way to eliminate breast cancer is to identify and reduce exposure to environmental carcinogens that contribute to the disease.
Many people are surprised to learn that inherited high-risk mutations in the breast cancer genes—BRCA1 and BRCA2—only account for an estimated 5% to 10% of breast cancers. While genetics play an important role for some families, most breast cancer cases are not linked to these inherited mutations, highlighting the importance of understanding other risk factors, including environmental exposures and lifestyle influences.
Yet today, 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. This raises an important question: What can we do to help prevent future generations from facing this disease?
As a mother of grown sons who will one day have families of their own, I now understand even more deeply why my mother was so passionate about MBCC’s work. Protecting future generations has never felt more important.
That is why I would like to invite you to participate in one of MBCC’s largest annual fundraising events, Against the Tide, taking place rain or shine on Saturday, June 20, 2026 at Hopkinton State Park in Hopkinton and Saturday, June 27, 2026, at Nickerson State Park in Brewster.
Against the Tide is a fun, family-friendly event that offers something for everyone. Participants can choose from several activities, including:
- U.S. Masters Swimming-sanctioned 1-mile swim
- 1-mile competitive swim
- Recreational ½-mile or 1-mile swims
- 5K run
- 10K run
- 3-mile fitness walk
Registration is open online, and walk-in registration is also welcome on the morning of the event beginning at 7:00 a.m. at the registration tent. The registration fee is just $40 for any event.
Beyond the races and activities, attendees can enjoy a morning filled with music, community spirit, and the shared goal of creating a healthier future for all.
We hope participants will not only join us for the event but also consider fundraising on behalf of MBCC. Every dollar raised supports critical research, education, advocacy, and efforts to prevent breast cancer before it starts.
Together, we can honor those we have lost, support those currently affected, and work toward changing the legacy of breast cancer for future generations.
