Just five days out of the hospital, May met with a personal trainer at a local health club and eventually worked up to three miles of running, three times a week, as well as strength training three times a week. She credits exercise for helping her get through the difficult effects of chemotherapy.

"I would get my chemo on Friday, and I'd be wasted Saturday, Sunday and Monday," May explains. On Tuesday, she would "crawl out of bed" to meet with her trainer, but, she says, "having that appointment, knowing this person would be there to say to me, 'You can do it; keep at it,'" was what got her out of bed.

Exercise wasn't just something May used during treatment. She continues to run and do strength training today. Diet, too, was — and continues to be — important to her. May traded in her old fast-food staples for a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables, lean meats and fish, and whole grains.

A life-altering experience

The travails didn't end with her lumpectomy: Afterward, there were six months of chemo, six weeks of radiation and then five years on the anti-estrogen drug tamoxifen — as well as surgeries for suspicious lumps that were found over the years. ("I have learned to be proactive and take charge; early detection is the key," notes May.)

"A holistic approach of exercise, diet and social connections has, together, given my life a remarkable sense of richness," she says. Her diagnosis prompted her to get involved in fundraising for women's-cancer research, an involvement that she feels helped contribute to her recovery. She also carved out more time to connect with loved ones.

In fact, throughout her ordeal, May leaned on family and friends — for rides to and from treatment, as sounding boards, to help lift her spirits. "Friends and family gave me a reprieve at certain times and snapped me out of a funk at others," she recalls.

A watershed

So, from whence did her inspiration spring for a water company? May's struggle with cancer led her to want to give back and contribute to the cause — and those who would face cancer after her. And that's where Athena Partners comes in.