Matthew Schaeg isn’t comfortable being called a hero. “You just step up and do it, you don’t think of it as a sacrifice or that you’re doing anything special,” said Schaeg, who was one of the four people who received a Champions Award as part of the inaugural Step Up For Stefanie’s Champions Walk/Run on Saturday. Stefanie Spielman established the Champion Award to recognize one of the most critical factors in surviving cancer: loving, unwavering support. In Stefanie’s case, such support during her battle with breast cancer came from her husband, Chris. To show her gratitude, Stefanie gave Chris the very first Champion Award in 2000. “Most of us are blessed we didn’t do it on our own,” Stefanie Spielman said in a video that was created as a tribute to Stefanie and her message of hope and courage. She passed away on Nov. 19, 2009. Quite a few tears flowed in the crowd of about 2,000 walkers and runners as they watched the video a few minutes before the start of the event. “They’re tears of sadness and also tears of resolve to create the cancer-free world that Stefanie and her family so bravely fought for,” said Michael Caligiuri, MD, Director of Ohio State’s Comprehensive Cancer Center and CEO of the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute. The Champions awards were given out at a luncheon ceremony in past years. “We wanted to reinvent it and decided to do a run/walk,” said Chris Spielman. “Stef loved to be outside and to run and we wanted to get families involved and get everybody out here together.” The event was as much of a celebration of love, life and family as it was a run/walk, which is exactly what the Spielmans had hoped for. Chris and Stefanie’s daughters, Maddie, Audrey and Macy, were at the event. “There are over 200 survivors in this crowd,” Maddie Spielman said from the stage. “Let’s take a moment and celebrate all of you.” Carol Brenner was there to celebrate 11 years of being cancer-free. She was 50 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. “It’s very emotional to see all these people, some who were recently diagnosed with breast cancer and are going through chemo and radiation,” she said. “I think about how lucky I am that I survived.” The Step Up for Stefanie’s Champions Walk/Run began in the large parking lot behind the Stefanie Spielman Comprehensive Breast Cancer Center, with The James visible in the distance. The three other Champions recognized are: Brett Jump, who was a caregiver for her friend Heather Appel; Nathan Hunt, who helped his wife, Ashlee Hunt; and Victoria Crooks, who cared for her father, K.A. Crooks. None of the four seemed to think they did anything especially heroic or extraordinary. They stepped up and did what had to be done. “The fact that nobody wants the recognition shows they truly are champions,” Chris Spielman said. “They just wanted to give their love and support and time and that’s a great message. Their reward was serving others.” During a difficult two-year period, Schaeg’s sister, Brandi Hann, was diagnosed with cervical cancer, followed by a lung cancer diagnosis for their father, Robert, and a breast cancer diagnosis for their mother, Jonnie, who eventually both lost their battles. Hann walked with her brother on Saturday and rides in Pelotonia every year. Schaeg moved in with his parents to better take care of them soon after their diagnoses. “I wanted to play a role in their fight and wouldn’t have had it any other way,” he said. Hann isn’t surprised her brother was up for the challenge. “It seemed to come very naturally to him,” she said. “I saw so much strength in him and he had this way of calming everyone down.” All the ups and downs and the rollercoaster of emotions that came with helping three family members dealing with cancer had an impact on Schaeg. He is now closer than ever with his sister. “I guess I’m a lot stronger than I thought I was,” he said. “And another thing that sticks in my mind is I never knew there was a place as amazing as The James and the Stefanie Spielman Center. There are so many great people there and it made it so much better.” 100% of the net proceeds from the event will be donated to the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research, where they will go directly to research efforts at the OSUCCC – James to support the research by our world renowned teams who are working tirelessly on cancer prevention, detection, treatments and ultimately a cure. The Spielman Fund does not use any money from donations to cover overhead for the walk/run. You can find out more about the work that the fund supports by visiting SpielmanFund.com.