Last year, cancer survivor Dov Siporin pulled off one of the toughest tasks of his life. Despite undergoing surgery to remove more than a foot of his colon only six weeks earlier, Siporin participated in the grueling Wasatch Back Relay, a 170-mile running event from Logan to Park City.

Not even the advice of his doctor halted his goal of running in the race.

"I ran the relay and began a three-month round of chemo right after," Siporin said. "After another surgery I did three more months. At the beginning of April, they found another tumor in my liver."

Despite a new tumor found this year, Siporin still hopes to duplicate last year's success in this year's relay from June 19-20. This time around, he is bringing along some help.

"I put together a team of as many current chemo patients as I can," Siporin said. "A bunch of us are survivors and three people that are running are undergoing chemo as well."

"Team Tumor" was created in February to encourage those with cancer and those surviving cancer to get out and focus on goals other than those dictated by the disease.

The team has 14 members, including survivors, supporters and people currently undergoing treatment.

"Without a doubt it's a real inspiration," Siporin said. "I try to get myself in the right mental state for if the worst happens, but running with others who have been and are still going through what I am is awesome."

Sherri Nielson, a breast

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cancer patient, never ran competitively until Siporin approached her about the relay, where team members take a few legs of the 170-mile run, a few months ago.

"I work with Dov, and he asked me in March if I wanted to run with the team," Nielson said. "I'm quite nervous about it, because some people are running a lot in their legs, but it's been very positive. It's given me a goal and it's made me healthier, too."

"It's great to see others rise up and do things they thought they couldn't do," Siporin said. "Sherri has been pushing it hard, and I am excited to see her and all the other faces when they are at the finish line together."

Not only are members of Team Tumor running for themselves, they are running for the lives of future cancer patients. With the help of the Huntsman Cancer Foundation, Team Tumor is also heading a fundraiser to help fight cancer in all its forms.

"It's a wonderful idea," Nielson said. "The Huntsman Foundation has been so wonderful to many of us and I'm thankful that I can be apart of it."

For more information on donating funds to the cause, visit www.huntsmancancerfoundation.org.