Author and inspirational speaker, Glenda Standeven will be at the Williams Lake Library on Oct. 4 to share light-hearted excerpts from her story in the book Choosing to Smile.
The reading will take place from 7 to 8 p.m.
Standeven co-authored the book with friends Julie Houlker and Michelle Rickaby and will also share her message with many non-profit groups in Williams during her two week visit.
Standeven, a former resident of Williams Lake, feels she has a good reason to smile - she is a 25 year bone cancer survivor who lost her entire right leg, including her hip and pelvis, to the disease in 1988.
She describes herself as a ''cancer thriver'' not just a cancer survivor.
Glenda and her husband, Rick, resided in Williams Lake in the early 1980s before moving back to their hometown of Chilliwack.
Both are excited to be returning to Williams Lake to do some visiting, speaking and promoting Choosing to Smile along the way.
"My husband, Rick, proposed to me during the Stampede Weekend in 1981, so Williams Lake holds some special memories for both of us," Standeven says.
'Choosing to Smile' chronicles the life stories of three friends before, during and after their respective cancer diagnoses. Their book is meant to offer an insight into the life of a person dealing with any type of adversity and to also help others recognize that cancer does not define a person.
"We have people of all ages, both men and women, who have read and loved our book. It's not just for cancer patients.
It's a book that one reviewer described as, 'encompassing the wholeness of life' which we think is a very apt description." says Standeven.
Standeven also says laughter and a positive attitude has helped her deal with not just cancer but all of life’s many challenges.
“When people look at me the first thing I want them to notice is that I'm smiling, not that I'm using crutches and have one leg."
She and her husband have been married for 30 years and have two grown sons. Standeven is well-known as
an inspirational speaker and presenter of a Smoking Awareness Program for Teens.
"I have a mission and a goal to help other people through tough times by sharing my life story openly and honestly." says Standeven.
In other notes of interest Standeven won two silver medals in the 1990 BC Winter Games in Slalom and Giant Slalom events; Chilliwack's Woman of the Year in 2003; the Governor General's Caring Canadian Award in 2005.
She and her co-authors also received received the Global Woman of Courage Award in Washington, DC in 2011.
Their book is available on Kindle Amazon, at Coles, Indigo and Chapters stores across Canada, and on their website, www.choosingtosmile.com.