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Nancy G. Brinker

Ambassador Nancy G. Brinker is regarded as the leader of the global breast
cancer movement. Her journey began with a simple promise to her dying sister,
Susan G. Komen, that she would do everything possible to end breast cancer,
forever. In one generation, the organization that bears Susan's name has
changed the world.

After Susan's death from breast cancer at the age of 36, Brinker founded Susan
G. Komen for the Cure® in her memory in 1982. She faced an immediate uphill
battle: newspapers balked at printing the words "breast cancer," no one talked
openly about the disease, few treatment options existed for breast cancer
patients and limited resources were committed to the disease. In a matter of years, Brinker broke the silence around breast cancer, and Komen for the Cure is now the world's largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists, committed to action against breast cancer through research, community health, advocacy and global programs. To date, the organization has invested more than $1.9 billion in breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment.

Brinker's determination to create a world without breast cancer is matched by her passion for enlisting
every segment of society - from leaders to citizens - to participate in the battle. In 2009, President Barack
Obama honored her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, for this
work. The same year, she was named Goodwill Ambassador for Cancer Control for the United Nations'
World Health Organization, where she continues her mission to put cancer control at the top ofthe world
health agenda. She previously served as U.S. Chief of Protocol and U.S. Ambassador to Hungary in the
George W. Bush administration. She was named one of TIME magazine's "100 Most Influential People" and
has received numerous accolades for her work.