Words Annie Fast t’s the weekend of Kimmy Fasani’s final radiation appointment, the last in a long ¹0 months of treatments that have included chemotherapy and a double mastectomy, followed by a series of daily radiation to save her life. I’m riding along with her from Oceanside, CA, to a meeting with her surgeon, Dr. Cheryl Olson, in San Diego where Kimmy is interviewing her for a documentary. She and her husband, pro skier Chris Benchetler, have been working on this movie project for the last five years. As Kimmy tells it, “Naively, we thought we were starting a movie about our pursuit as professional athletes going into parenthood.” Instead, the movie, titled Riding Our Future, has documented five of the most challenging years of their lives as new parents attempting to pursue their professions while raising two kids and encountering what Kimmy describes as a series of relentless tidal waves. As she says, “Every time we feel like we’re catching our breath, we’re held down again. And at some points, it has just become suffocating.” This take is so uncharacteristic of Kimmy whose success can in part be traced to her positivity, her unwillingness to dwell in the tough moments and her ability to expertly navigate them, learn from them and intentionally move past them to reconnect with her goals. So you know it’s been an extremely rough ride. PREVIOUS SPREAD “When Kimmy and Chris [Benchetler] reached out and asked if I could help make a few photos to document and share their journey I was humbled, insecure and questioned whether I was the right person for the job. Kimmy is so strong and inspiring to use what many could see as the beginning of the end to channel every ounce of their internal strength, and to have the courage to want to document and share their experience so that others don’t feel alone, creating community. That’s the beauty of our family— not just our family by blood. I’m talking about our family of snowboarders, surfers, skiers, climbers, etc. Reese, Kimmy’s dog, waited patiently next to Kimmy while we made these first few portraits only a few days after her sur-gery. My wife Jenna was right next to me the whole time, in our makeshift studio inside of Kimmy and Chris’ house. It was a heavy moment. But when Kimmy picked Reese up, the mood lightened. He was happy to be there with mom, you could see her face light up. Family is everything to Kimmy and that includes pets too.” Photo: Todd Glaser 070 THE SNOWBOARDER’S JOURNAL
The Snowboarder's Journal The Snowboarder's Journal 20.3: Page 70
