Nfocus Columns
Here you will find columns from current and previous issues of Louisville Nfocus. Click on the headline of any article to see the full article. You can also click on the issue name to see all of the articles and features for that issue.
As the second woman to race in the Kentucky Derby and the first woman to ride in the Preakness, P.J. Cooksey is a trailblazer for women jockeys. She is one of only three women in the sport with over 2,000 career wins, along with Rosemary Homeister Jr. and Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame member Julie Krone. Cooksey celebrated her biggest win in 2002, when she beat breast cancer and joined an elite group of survivors. In addition to her numerous awards—including Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame, the Mike Venezia Memorial Award, and the Vince Lombardi Symbol of Courage Award—Cooksey’s legend is sure to include her passionate commitment to the horse racing community.
Aside from the client question “How long do you think this will take?” the question I am most oft asked is “When do you sleep?” generally preceded by the statement “You are everywhere!” which tickles me because it means the person saying it is all the places I am. Ha! While I will never reveal my secrets to seeming to be in more than one place at once and showing up everywhere, I will submit there is an art to what I like to call the “pop in,” and, yes, I do in fact have a real job that is the antithesis of a social butterfly.
My Mom died from throat cancer on February 19, 2001. I was diagnosed with melanoma on May 11, 2007. My brother was diagnosed with liver cancer on April 7, 2011.
At times I have wanted to cast about and rail at the world. How did we come to this? I have seen many friends and family dying of cancer. It is a devastating and unforgiving disease. But I have seen more friends and family living with cancer. They – we – are Survivors.
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