“True victory.” That’s Cathy Deshazo’s motto, and it’s one that’s served her throughout her life, all the way up to the 5K race that she just completed last month. It’s words that have inspired her to overcome obstacles, and an attitude that has helped her through her incredible story.
Her childhood was filled with abuse and uncertainty. Born in Seattle in 1951, her mother left her soon after she was born and her father physically abused her. But through it all, Cathy kept her attitude and refused to let anything stand in her way. She’s spent the last fifty years trying to track down her mother. Now, just recently, Cathy reconnected with her mother’s family, and got to meet her nieces and nephews for the first time.
Her quest for family is only one aspect of Cathy’s unbeatable strength. Throughout her life, she’s faced down more than her fair share of health problems.
People call me Cat,” Cathy explains to me, “Because I definitely have nine lives!”
And every time, she manages to land on her feet. Eight months ago she was in the hospital, placed on oxygen, and told she didn’t have long to live. Instead she came home, quit smoking, weaned herself off the oxygen, and last month completed her very first 5K as a part of Team Tillicum. Now she tells me she is feeling fantastic and already training for next year.
For that, she’s gotten help from the community. In the months leading up to the race, she won a new pair of running shoes from FleetFeet, where she was fitted with a custom pair of running shoes. “I was treated like royalty,” she says, describing how meticulous the FleetFeet people were in making sure her shoes were comfortable. “The first pair fit perfectly!” With the right equipment, Cathy has gone from being extremely sick just eight months ago, to becoming a regular runner.
Cathy attributes her miraculous recovery to her unshakable faith. Throughout our conversation, she reiterates that she doesn’t want pity. Rather, she wants to tell her story to overcome their own challenges. “We all have our own lives,” she says, “but I want people to know that with God, anything is possible.”
As she crossed the finish line of the race, her hands raised and her face alight, Cathy Deshazo achieved yet another true victory.